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
‘Fallen is Babylon’ (Rome), the great city: future prophecy (verse 21), but also reference to the past to emphasise the inevitability of God’s decision. This also recalls Ezekiel’s prophecy against Tyre. Yet the following verses show a certain tenderness and nostalgia. The author evokes memories of a beautiful world that was self-defeating. The tone hardens again in the victory passage, which simultaneously cheers and affirms God’s vengeance.
FIRST READING Apok. 18, 1-2.21-23 ; 19, 1-3.9a
Fallen is Babylon, the great city!
From the revelation of the holy apostle John
I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven.
He had great authority and the earth shone with his glory.
And he cried with a powerful voice :
‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon, the great city!
‘ She became a dwelling place for demons,
a refuge for all kinds of unclean spirits
and for every kind of unclean and detestable fowl.’
Then a strong angel raised
lifted up a stone like a great millstone
and he threw it into the sea and said :
‘Thus shall Babylon, the great City, be hurled away
and never be found again…
‘And the sound of harpists and singers,
of flute players and trumpeters
shall never again be heard in you,
and no practitioner of any craft
shall be found in you any more.
‘And the sound of the mill shall no more be heard in you ,
and the light of the lamp shall shine no more in thee,
and the voice of bridegroom and bride
shall no more be heard in thee.
‘For thy merchants were the princes of the earth
and by thy magic all nations were seduced.’
What I heard next ,
was like the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven.
And they shouted :
‘Alleluia! Salvation and honour and power are from our God
for true and righteous are his judgements.
‘He pronounced judgment on the great Whore
who with her whoredom led the earth to destruction.
‘He shed the blood of his servants
avenged on her.’
And again they cried :
‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises in the ages of ages;’
And the angel said to me : ‘Write down :
Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 100(99), 2, 3, 4, 5
Blessed are those who are invited
To the marriage supper of the Lamb (Apoc. 19, 9a)
Rejoice before the Lord, all nations,
serve the Lord with joy.
Enter unconcerned before His Face ;
Verily, the Lord is God.
He is the Creator and Master,
we are his flock, his people.
Pass through his gates with song,
enters his court with song.
Bless His Name and honour Him,
He is good to us.
Endless is His mercy,
faithful from generation to generation.
ALLELUIA Apok. 2, 10c
Alleluia.
Be faithful unto death, saith the Lord,
and I will give you the crown of life.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 21, 20-28
Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles
until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples :
‘When ye see Jerusalem surrounded by armies
know then that its destruction is near.
‘Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains ;
those in the city go out
And they that dwell in the land enter not the city :
Days of vengeance are they
On which all that is written will be fulfilled.
‘Woe to the pregnant and suckling in those days.
‘For great distress will come upon the land
and judgment of punishment upon this people.
‘Some will fall by the devouring sword,
others will be scattered as captives among all nations.
‘Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles
until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.
There will be signs on sun, moon and stars
and on earth peoples will be in fear,
distraught by the roar of the tempestuous sea.
People will die of terror,
in suspense at what is about to happen to the world,
for the heavenly hosts will be thrown into confusion.
‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud ,
with power and great glory.
‘When all this begins to take place
then arise and lift up your heads
for your salvation is at hand.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
111. The human person with his inalienable rights is by
naturally open to ties. At its root lies the vocation to rise above
himself in the encounter with others. Therefore, ‘it is necessary
to be careful not to fall into some misunderstandings that
may arise from a misunderstanding of the concept of human rights
and a paradoxical misuse of it. Indeed, today there is a tendency
increasingly broad claim to individual – I am tempted to
say individualistic – rights, behind which lies a conception of the
human person that is detached from any social and
anthropological context, almost as an increasingly insensitive ‘monad’
(monàs) […]. If each person’s right is not harmoniously directed towards the
greater good, it is eventually conceived as unbounded and becomes
therefore a source of conflict and violence’.
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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