Episcopal chair in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome
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
In most religions, one chooses one’s own teacher. With Jesus it is the other way round. He takes as collaborators whoever He wants: among the many disciples who respond to His proclamation, He asks some of them to leave their ordinary occupations, follow Him unconditionally, and pass on the Good News when He will have died. Within that group, the 12 are charged with a special mission, and Peter is commissioned to confirm his brethren in the faith. The place of Peter and his successors in the Church is that of the servant, who, like Jesus, wants to be the least of all. That ministry entails a special bond with Christ. It must be so strong that the sent one becomes a true witness. Only then can what Jesus said to his disciples become true: ‘He who listens to you listens to me’.
FIRST READING I Petr. 5, 1-4
Elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ.
From the first letter of the holy apostle Peter
Dearly beloved,
The elders among you, I exhort,
– elders as well as them and witnesses of the sufferings of Christ,
also partakers of the glory
to be revealed –
feed the flock of God, of which you are the shepherds;
shepherd it as God wills :
with heart and not by compulsion,
with devotion and not for profit.
Do not play master over those entrusted to your care,
but be an example to the flock.
Then you will, when the chief shepherd appears,
receive the never withering wreath of glory.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 23(22), 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd, nothing do I lack.
The Lord is my shepherd, nothing am I lacking ;
He makes me graze on green fields.
He brings me to water, where I can rest,
He restores my courage.
He guides my steps along straight paths
For His Name’s sake.
Though my way leads through dark gorges,
I fear no evil wherever You lead me.
Thy rod and Thy staff
give me courage and confidence.
You invite me to Your table
to the annoyance of my adversaries.
With oil Thou anointest my head,
my cup is overflowing.
Prosperity and blessing never leave me
every day of my life.
The house of the Lord shall be my dwelling
for all times to come.
VERS FOR THE GOSPEL Mt 16:13-19
Alleluia
Thou art Peter ;
and on this rock I will build my Church
And the gates of hell shall not overwhelm her.
Alleluia
GOSPEL Mt 16:13-19
Thou art Peter, and I will give thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
In those days,
when Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea from Philip,
He asked His disciples this question :
‘Who is
according to the opinion of men ,
the Son of Man ?’
They replied :
‘Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’
‘But ye – spoke He to them –
who do ye say that I am?’
Simon Peter replied :
‘Thou art the Christ ,
the Son of the living God.’
Jesus resumed :
‘Blessed art thou Simon, son of Jonah ,
for not flesh and blood have revealed this to thee
but my Father who is in heaven.
‘In my turn I say to you :
Thou art Peter ;
and upon this rock I will build my church
and the gates of hell shall not overwhelm her.
‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven
And what ye shall bind on earth ,
shall also be bound in heaven
and what ye shall dissolve on earth
shall also be dissolved in heaven.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical by
POPE FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
197. Seen in this way, politics is nobler than the appearances, the marketing, the makeup
of the media. All that only sows division, enmity and
a sad scepticism, unable to invoke a
common project. When we think of the future, we should
we have to ask ourselves on certain days: ‘For what purpose? What do I really focus on?’
Because after a few years, when reflecting on the
past, the question will not be: ‘How many people agreed with me,
how many people voted for me, how many people had a
positive image of me?’. The perhaps painful questions will be:
‘How much love did I put into my work? In what did I make the people
progress? What impact did I have on society?
What real bonds did I forge? What positive forces did I
generate? How much social peace did I sow? What did I work on
the place entrusted to me?’.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition 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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