Italian priest and educator.
Born 16/8/1815 and died 31/1/1888
Canonised on 1/4/1934
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
The text presupposes a community that suffers tribulation and can still expect it. The early days are over. A lot has happened (though no martyrdom). There was apparently great solidarity. Christians had to make fundamental decisions: What does it come down to? What should and should not be lost? It comes down to perseverance and trust. Hence as an answer song psalm 37.
FIRST READING Hebrews 10:32-39
Thou hast passed a hard test ;
Do not throw your confidence overboard now.
From the letter to the Hebrews
Brothers and sisters,
Remember the days of old,
when you received the light
and immediately had to endure a severe test of suffering.
Some of you were openly hated and persecuted,
while others faithfully stood by them in their distress.
For thou didst stand in solidarity with those who were arrested.
You even joyfully endured
that your possessions were confiscated.
For you were conscious of owning something more valuable
and that will never be lost.
Don’t throw that confidence away now,
it will be so richly rewarded!
What you need is perseverance,
to do God’s will and win the promises.
For, says Scripture :
‘Another very short time
and He who must come will come, without delay.
My righteous will save his life by faithful faith ,
but he who backslides cannot please Me.’
But we are not among those who flinch and are lost ;
we have faith and by faith win life.
INTERLUDIUM Ps 37(36), 3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40
The salvation of the pious comes from the Lord.
Trust in the Lord and do what is right,
then thou shalt inhabit thy land safely.
Seek your happiness from the Lord,
He gives what your heart desires.
Trust to the Lord thy way of life,
Trust in Him, He will take care of it.
Your honour shall shine like the dawn,
your justice as the noonday sun.
Man’s step gets its strength from God,
his way is guarded by the Lord.
Even if he stumbles he will not fall,
for God sustains his hand.
The salvation of the pious comes from the Lord ;
He is their refuge in times of affliction.
The Lord stands by them and delivers them,
He saves those who turn to Him.
ALLELUIA Mt 4, 4b
Alleluia.
Not from bread alone does man live,
but from all that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 4, 26-34
The sower sows, he sleeps and rises,
and meanwhile the seed germinates and sprouts, but he does not know how.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Mark
At that time, Jesus said to the crowd :
‘It goes with the kingdom of God
as with a man who sows his land ;
he sleeps and rises, night and day,
and meanwhile the seed germinates and sprouts,
but he does not know how.
‘By its own power the earth brings forth fruit,
first the green culm, then the ear,
‘As soon as the fruit allows he strikes the sickle into it,
for it is time for the harvest.’
And further :
‘What comparison can we find for the Kingdom of God
and in what parable shall we represent it ?
‘It resembles a mustard seed.
‘When that is sown in the ground ,
it may be the smallest seed on earth;
but once sown it shoots up
and it grows bigger than all garden crops,
and it gets big branches
so that the birds can nest in its shade.’
In many such parables, He proclaimed His teachings to them
in the way they could understand.
Other than in parables, He did not speak to them ,
but once with His disciples alone
He explained everything.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
175. Thank God very many associations and organisations of the
civil society to overcome the weaknesses of the international community,
its lack of coordination in complex situations, its lack of
attention to basic human rights and to very critical situations
of some groups to compensate. Thus, the principle of subsidiarity
is given a concrete expression, facilitating the participation and activity of the
communities and lower-level organisations, guaranteeing in a
complement in a complementary way the actions of the state. Often
them a commendable effort to think of the common
welfare and some of their members even get down to truly heroic
deeds, which show how much beauty our humanity is
is still capable of
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