Roman basilicas built over St Peter’s tomb
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wishes to share with you the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
Apocalypse wants to reveal what is coming at the end. It is a difficult book. Our main aim is to provide keys to understanding what is most important. A first key is the distinction between prophetic literature and apocalyptic literature. Prophets want to convert people. Disasters are a threat and a warning, but conversion brings back salvation. Apocalypse is pessimistic. Evil (the beast) is an anti-godly power. The faithful are not guilty but victims. They must endure until God intervenes and finally reckons and saves. So the purpose is rather encouragement but not a call to repentance.
FIRST READING Acts 28, 11-16.30-31
Finally, we then turned to Rome.
From the Acts of the Apostles
After three months we sailed away on a ship from Alexandria
which had wintered on the island.
It carried the Dioskuren as its figurehead.
We docked in Syracuse and stayed there for three days.
From there we sailed along the coast and arrived in Regium.
Because a south wind picked up the following day,
we reached Puteoli the next day.
There we found brothers
and we were invited to stay with them for seven days.
Finally, we then headed for Rome.
From there, too, came the friars,
who had already heard of us,
as far as Forum Appii and Tres Tabernae.
When Paul saw them, he thanked God
and took new courage.
After our arrival in Rome, Paul was given leave
to live by himself with the soldier guarding him.
Full two years he stayed in his own rented accommodation
and received all who came to him.
He preached the Kingdom of God
and taught the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ
in all boldness,
without any hindrance.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 98(97), 1, 2-3ab, 3c-4, 5-6
His benefits the Lord made known to us,
the nations his righteousness.
Sing to the Lord a new song
Because He did wonders.
His hand asserted itself mightily,
the power of His holy arm.
His benefits He made known to us,
His justice to the nations.
Once again His goodness and faithfulness proved
in favour of Israel’s house.
All the earth beheld
what our God did for us.
Glorify the Lord, all nations,
be glad, rejoice and sing.
Sing to the Lord by the zither,
with zither and psalters.
Let trumpet and trumpet sound
and dance before the Lord, your king.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
You, God, we praise.
You, Lord, we praise.
You praise the glorious choir of the apostles.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 14:22-33
Tell me to come over the water to you.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
After the multiplication of bread
Jesus forced his disciples to get into the boat
and sail to the other side already,
while He would send the people home.
When He had sent the people away,
He went up the mountain to pray in solitude.
Night was falling and He was there alone.
The boat was already a long way from the shore
and was ravaged by the waves,
for they had headwinds.
Towards morning
Jesus came on foot across the lake to them.
But when the disciples saw Him going across the lake like this ,
they became upset
because they thought they saw a ghost
and they began to cry out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them :
‘Rest assured, it is I.
‘Do not fear.’
‘Lord,- answered Peter – if it is Thou,
then tell me to come to You by water.’
Whereupon Jesus spoke :
‘Come!’
Peter got out of the boat
and walked across the water towards Jesus.
But when he noticed how fierce the wind was ,
he became afraid;
he began to sink and shouted :
‘Lord, save me!’
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and grabbed him,
saying to him :
‘Little believer, why did you doubt?’
After they got into the boat ,
the wind died down.
The occupants threw themselves down before Him and said :
‘Truly, Thou art the Son of God.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
Transcending a world of partners
101. Let us now return to the parable of the Good
Samaritan, which still has much to teach us. There was a man who was wounded
lying by the roadside. The persons passing by him were not
focused on the inner calling to be near him, but on their function,
on the social position they had, on a prestigious profession in
society. They felt important to the society of that
time and what was important to them was the role they had to play. The
wounded and abandoned man along the road was a disruption to
this plan, an interruption and, for his part, it was someone who held no
held any position. He was a ‘nobody’, he did not belong to any
group worth taking note of, he had no role whatsoever
in the construction of history. Meanwhile, the generous
Samaritan these closed classifications, even though he himself fell outside all these
categories and was simply a stranger without a proper
place in society. Thus, free from any title and structure, he was able to
been able to interrupt his journey, change his programmes,
willing to open himself up to the surprise of a wounded
man who needed him.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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