Saint Johannes Berchmans was a Flemish Jesuit
Born: 13/3/1599
Death: 13/8/1621
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants 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
In this reading, judgement is described using the traditional image of the harvest, but the image is double: it is about reaping and pressing. The wine harvest is always in Scripture as an image of punishment. Perhaps this is because of the red wine, which refers to the blood. Added to this is the added explanation: the great pressing vat of God’s wrath. The grain harvest and reaping, on the other hand, are often symbols of the separation between good and evil. Judgement has two aspects: for the good, it speaks of deliverance, salvation and collection (in sheaves), but for the wicked, it refers to punishment (chaff, fire).
FIRST READING Apok. 14, 14-19
The hour to reap had come;
overripe became the harvest of the earth.
From the Revelation of the holy apostle John
I, John, looked on, and I saw a white cloud;
And on the cloud sat Someone, a Son of Man alike,
with a golden crown upon his head
And a sharp sickle in his hand.
And another angel came out of the temple
And he called with a loud voice to Him who was seated on the cloud :
‘Strike thy sickle in it and reap
for the hour to reap has come ;
overripe was the harvest of the earth.’
Then He who was seated on the cloud cast His sickle on the earth
and the earth was mown down.
And again an angel emerged from the temple in heaven
and he too carried a sharp sickle.
And another angel,
appointed over the fire, came down from the altar
and he called with a loud voice to him who carried the sharp sickle :
‘Strike your sharp sickle into it
and harvest the bunches of the vineyard of the earth
for its grapes are ripe.’
Then the angel threw his sickle on the earth
and harvested the vineyard of the earth.
And he cast the bunches into the great pressing pit of God’s wrath
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 96(95), 10, 11-12, 13
Justly shall the Lord rule the world.
Say to one another : the Lord reigns!
Unshakably He created the earth,
He rules the nations with fairness.
Then the heavens shine and the earth rejoices,
the sea hums along with all that lives there;
the fields sway with all their crops,
the forest giants bow their heads.
They cheer the Lord because He is coming,
He is coming as King of the Earth.
Righteously He will rule the world,
the peoples fair and faithful.
ALLELUIA Lk 21, 28
Alleluia.
Lift up yourselves and lift up your heads
For your salvation comes near.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 21, 5-11
No stone shall be left upon another.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
In those days some noted
How the temple there adorned
with its fine stones and gifts of wisdom,
but Jesus said :
‘What ye see there :
A time will come
When no stone will be left on the other :
Everything will be destroyed.’
The disciples now asked Him :
‘Master, when will that happen?’
But He said :
‘Beware lest ye be led astray.
‘For many will act in my Name
and they will say : It is I, and : The time is at hand.
‘Do not run after them.
‘And when ye hear of wars and disturbances ,
do not be put off.
‘All that must happen first
but the end does not immediately follow.’
Then He spoke to them :
‘There will be strife of people against people
and of kingdom against kingdom ;
There will be violent earthquakes ,
and famine and pestilence,
now here then there,
terrifying things
and in the sky terrific signs.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
109. Some are born into families in good economic
conditions, receive a good education, grow up with good food
or naturally possess remarkable skills. They will certainly not
need an active state and will only ask for freedom. But
it is clear that the same rule does not apply to persons with
disabilities, to those born in a meagre home, to those
who grew up with low-quality education and with scarce
opportunities to treat their diseases properly. If the
society is based primarily on the criteria of the free market and
efficiency, there is no place for them and brotherhood will at best be a
romantic expression.
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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