Invitation
May I ask for your attention for
daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation is to share the joy
of the gospel with you. Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their heart
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
As yesterday, we place two texts side by side with the response psalm 7. ‘I did not know what they were planning against me’, ‘deliver me from my persecutors’ and ‘some of them wanted to arrest him’. We are clearly approaching the Passion season and a dark shadow hangs over all of this as a harbinger of things to come.
FIRST READING: Jer. 11:18-20
I was as innocent as a lamb led to the slaughter.
From the Prophet Jeremiah
When the Lord God warned me, I was only just aware;
indeed, you have shown me their plot.
I was as innocent
as a lamb led to the slaughter;
I did not suspect what they were plotting against me:
We cut down the tree in its full strength.
We banish him from the land of the living,
so that his name is no longer mentioned. Lord, God of the heavenly powers,
your judgement is just,
You fathom hearts and kidneys.
Let me see then how You avenge Yourself on them;
for I have committed my cause to You.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 7, 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12
Lord, my God, to You I flee. Lord, my God, to You I flee,
deliver me from my persecutors.
Otherwise the lions will drag me away,
they will tear me to pieces with no hope of rescue. Grant me justice according to my guilt,
for I have none.
End the injustice, uphold the law,
O righteous God, who knows our hearts. The shield that covers me is God,
who guards the hearts of the faithful.
He is a righteous judge,
a God who never takes himself too seriously.
VERSE FOR THE GOSPEL Psalm 51(50), 12a and 14a
Create in me a pure heart, my God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
GOSPEL John 7, 40-53
Could the Messiah be from Galilee?
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
When some of the people heard Jesus‘ words
they said,
’This is the prophet.‘
Others said,
’This is the Messiah.‘
Still others asked,
’Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?
Has not the scripture said
that the Messiah is descended from David
and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’
Thus, division arose among the people because of him.
Some of them wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand on him.
Then the officers
who were sent by the chief priests and Pharisees
came back and asked them,
‘Why did you not bring him?’
The officers answered,
‘No one has ever spoken like this man.‘
To which the Pharisees said:
’Have you also been deceived?
‘Have any of the authorities
or the Pharisees believed in him?
’That people, yes,
who do not know the Law,
cursed are they!”
But one of their number, Nicodemus
who had come to Jesus earlier, remarked:
‘Does our law condemn anyone
without first hearing him and knowing what he does?’
They replied:
‘Are you from Galilee too?
’Look around and you will see
that the prophet does not rise up from Galilee.’
Then everyone went home.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On fraternity and social friendship
239. A reading of other New Testament texts shows us that
the first communities, immersed as they were in a pagan world
full of corruption and abuse, practised in fact a generous forbearance,
tolerance and understanding. Some texts are very clear in this
regard: one is invited to gently correct the opponent
(cf. 2 Tim. 2:25). It is recommended to ‘defame no one
and seek no quarrel, to be kind and extremely gentle in
dealing with everyone without exception. For we too were once
without understanding’ (Tit. 3:2-3). The book of the Acts of the Apostles
says that the disciples, who were persecuted by some authorities, “were
in favour with all the people” (cf. 2:47; 4:21, 33; 5:13).
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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