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
What the proclaimer of faith has is not actually his. It is meant to be shared with others. The proclaimer of faith ‘must know his place’. John the Baptist possessed this humility. He points to Jesus, he (h)recognises Him! The mission of a proclaimer of faith is to point out Jesus, to confess Him. In fact, he or she cannot do much more than that. If the other person finds his way to Jesus through his word and his way of life, his task is complete. The rest the Lord Himself will do. ‘He must become greater, but I must become smaller’.
FIRST READING I John 5, 14-21
God listens to us when we ask Him for something.
From the first letter of the holy apostle John
Friends,
Our trust in God gives us the assurance
That He listens to us
if we ask Him anything in accordance with His will.
And if we know that He listens to all our questions
we can also be sure
that our prayers have already been answered.
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin
that does not lead to death
he should pray for his brother
and God will keep him alive, that is,
if his sin does not kill him.
For there is a sin that leads to death;
for this my exhortation to pray does not apply.
But though every wrong deed is sin
not every sin brings death.
We know that a child of God does not sin ;
the Son of God preserves him
and the evil one has no hold over him.
We know that we belong to God
while the whole world is in the power of the evil one.
We know that the Son of God has come
and that He has given us insight
To know the true God,
and we are in the true God
for we are in Jesus Christ, his Son.
This is the true God, this is eternal life !
Children, beware of false gods.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 149, 1-2, 3-4, 5, 6a, 9b
Our Lord, who loves his people,
wreaths the oppressed with wreaths of victory.
Or : Alleluia.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
His praise resounds in the midst of His people.
Israel cheers its Creator,
let Zion’s sons salute their King.
Praise His Name in a holy dance,
play harp and zither before Him.
For our Lord, who loves His people,
wreathes the oppressed with wreaths of victory.
So rejoice, saints, for your triumph,
celebrate in your army places.
Complete to them the judgment of God,
the task that honours his pious ones.
ALLELUIA cf. 1 Tim. 3, 16
Alleluia.
Praised be the Lord,
because He was proclaimed among the nations ;
Praised be the Lord,
because He was believed in the world.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 3:22-30
The friend of the bridegroom is filled with joy when he hears the
voice of the bridegroom.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time Jesus went with his disciples into the land of Judea,
stayed there with them for some time
and baptised there.
John also administered baptism at Enon near Salem,
because there was plenty of water there ;
people went there to be baptised.
For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
Some disciples from John’s circle
got into a quarrel with a Jew
about purification issues.
They went to John and told him :
‘Rabbi,
the man who was with you across the Jordan
and about whom thou hast given a testimony :
now that He is baptising
they all run to Him.’
John answered them in reply :
‘A man cannot appropriate anything ,
unless it is given to him from heaven.
‘Ye yourselves are my witnesses that I have said :
I am not the Messiah
but a sent one to go forth before Him.
‘The bridegroom is he who has the bride ,
but the friend of the bridegroom
who stands listening to see if he hears him,
is already full of joy
when he hears the groom’s voice.
‘So now is my joy and she is complete,’ he says.
‘He must grow larger but I small
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
Forms of populism and liberalism
155. Lack of concern for the vulnerable can hide behind a populism that exploits them demagogically for its own purposes, or a liberalism that serves the economic interests of the powerful. In both cases, it becomes difficult to envisage an open world that makes room for everyone, including the most vulnerable, and shows respect for different cultures.
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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