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
The hills of the first reading correspond to the mountain country in the Gospel. The gazelle and the deer evoke the urgency of the journey. The beloved coming near will be the Lord himself in the gospel. Are we to understand the words ‘blessed she who has believed’ from Elisabeth’s mouth as an allusion to the angel’s words to Zacharias: Because ye have not believed my words’? In any case, the contrast between Zechariah’s unbelief and Mary’s faith is not far-fetched, since twice it is about a reaction to an angel announcing the coming of the Messiah. How does one link the Song of Songs to Mary’s visit to Elisabeth? They are two idyllic scenes.
FIRST READING Highl. 2, 8-14
Hymn of praise to the beloved to come.
From the Song of Songs
Hear, there is my beloved;
Look, there he comes,
over the hills he rushes forth.
My beloved is like a gazelle,
he looks like the cub of a deer.
There he stands behind the wall of our house.
He sees through the window
and looks in through the bars.
Now my beloved calls out and says to me:
“Arise, my beloved, come anyway, my beloved!
Look, winter is over,
the rain is gone forever.
Look, in the field there are flowers again,
the time to sing dawns;
the call of the turtle sounds over the land.
The fig tree is already bearing its first fruit,
and how lovely the flowering vine smells!
Arise, my love, come, my beauty!
My dove, whom you have hidden
in the crevices of the rock,
in the hollow of the rocks,
let me see thy face,
let me hear your voice,
for thy voice is so beautiful,
your face so lovely!”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 33(32), 2-3, 11-12, 20-21
Jubilate, righteous ones, before the Lord,
sing to the Lord a new song.
Then honour the Lord with cither playing,
and play to Him on the harp.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
a clean and resounding refrain.
Eternal stands the plan of the Lord,
what He has planned is valid for all generations.
Blessed the people who have the Lord as God,
the nation chosen by Him to be His inheritance.
Therefore our heart trusts in the Lord,
He is our shield and helper.
Therefore He is the joy of our hearts,
His holy Name our refuge.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
Sun of righteousness,
reflection of eternal light :
Come enlighten those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 1, 39-45
To what do I owe it
that the mother of the Lord comes to me?
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
In those days Mary travelled urgently to the mountain country, to a town in Judah.
She entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elisabet.
As soon as Elisabet heard Mary’s greeting ,
the child jumped up in her womb.
Elisabet was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed in a loud voice:
“Thou art blessed among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
To what do I owe it
that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
Behold, as soon as the sound of thy greeting reached my ear
the child leapt up with joy in my womb.
Blessed is she who has believed that will come to fulfilment
what has been said to her because of the Lord.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
134. On the other hand, when you welcome someone who is different wholeheartedly, you enable them to remain themselves and give them the opportunity to develop themselves further. The different cultures, which have produced their wealth over the centuries, must be protected, lest the world becomes impoverished. And this without neglecting to encourage them to let something new emerge from themselves in the encounter with other realities. One cannot ignore the danger of eventually falling victim to cultural sclerosis. Therefore, ‘we must communicate with each other, discover the riches of each, appreciate what unites us, and look at differences as an opportunity for growth with respect for all. Patient and trusting dialogue is needed so that individuals, families and communities can pass on the values of their own culture and receive the good that comes from the experiences of others.
To be continued
Every day on 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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