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
Prayer and answer to prayer is a theme with which the long tradition of both Judaism and Christianity struggles. Asking, seeking, knocking, they are synonyms. But if we look deeper, it is not about magical formulas, which can enforce answer to prayer. More than that, the word ‘seek’ in particular is used with the prophets as a search for God, who allows Himself to be found for all who seek Him. Similarly, we should seek Christ who wants to come present, we should knock with confidence and above all ‘ask for the good’ and that is His presence among us.
FIRST READING Est. 14, 1.3-5.12-14
Lord, I have no helper but You.
From the Book of Esther
In those days, Queen Esther, in agony
took refuge in the Lord.
She prayed thus to the God of Israel :
‘My Lord, our King, Thou art the only one!
‘Come to my aid, I who stand alone
And have no helper but Thee,
for I am facing a great danger.
‘From my birth I have heard in the tribe from which I came
heard, that Thou, Lord, out of all the nations Israel
and out of all their ancestors have adopted our fathers
as an abiding inheritance and that Thou hast done for them all
which Thou had promised.
‘Remember us, Lord,
reveal Thee in the hour of our distress, and give me courage,
Thou, King of the gods and ruler of all dominion.
‘Put a happy word in my mouth,
as I face the lion ;
Change his disposition and bring him to hate
against the man who fights us,
so that he and his allies perish.
Save us by your hand and come to my aid,
for I stand alone and have no one but You, Lord.’
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 138(137), 1-2a, 2bc-3, 7c-8
Whenever I called to Thee Thou hast always heard me,
Thou hast always given me new courage.
You I want to praise, Lord, from all my heart,
Because Thou hast listened to my prayer.
I sing to Thee and all the heavenly powers
and prostrate myself, bowed down to Your sanctuary.
Thee I praise for Thy goodness and Thy faithfulness,
for Thou hast maturely fulfilled Thy promise.
Whenever I cried out to Thee, Thou hast always answered me,
Thou hast always given me new courage.
Always Thy outstretched hand is my salvation :
the Lord completes for me all that I undertake.
Thy goodness, Lord, endures without end ;
do not forget the workmanship of your hands!
VERS FOR THE GOSPEL Am. 5, 14
Seek good, and not evil,
That ye may live, and God abide with you.
GOSPEL Mt. 7, 7-12
All who ask obtain.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time Jesus said to his disciples :
‘Ask and it will be given to you ;
seek and you shall find;
knock and it will be opened.
‘For all who ask obtain;
he who seeks finds
And to him who knocks they will open.
‘Or is there anyone among you
who will give his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread?
‘Or a snake when he asks for a fish?
‘If thou therefore, though thou art evil,
know how to give good gifts to thy children,
how much more shall thy Father who is in heaven
give good to those who ask Him for it.
‘Whatsoever ye would that men should do for you ,
do for them also.
‘That is Law and Prophets.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical by
PAUS FRANCISCUS
On brotherhood and social friendship
The encounter that has become culture
216. The word ‘culture’ indicates something that has permeated a people’s deepest
beliefs and lifestyle. When we speak of
a ‘culture’, it is more than an idea or an abstraction.
It includes desires, enthusiasm and finally a way of life that characterises that
human group . Speaking of a ‘culture of encounter’
thus means that as a people we are enthusiastic about meeting each other,
to look for points of contact, to build bridges, to design something in which
all are involved in. That has become an aspiration and a lifestyle.
The subject of that culture is the people, not a sector of society
that seeks to use professional and media means to keep the rest
to keep the rest quiet.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this issue is taken from The New Translation of the Bible,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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