Invitation
May I ask for your attention for
reading the Gospel every day?
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
‘You are from below, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world.’ In the Gospel of John, the word “world” does not always have this negative connotation, but usually refers to the world insofar as it is alienated from God and hostile to God. This God-hostile world stands in sharp contrast to the world to come. Here, the distance between Jesus and his opponents is strongly emphasised. The words ‘from above’ and ‘from below’ underline this even more clearly. It is not a spatial statement but a theological statement that aims to express the essence of the mystery of Jesus.
FIRST READING Num. 21:4-9
Everyone who is bitten and looks at the bronze serpent will live.
From the Book of Numbers
In those days the Hebrews journeyed from Mount Hor
in the direction of the Red Sea,
for they wanted to go through the land of Edom.
But on the way the people grew impatient.
They turned against God and against Moses.
‘Did you lead us out of Egypt to die in the desert?
’There is no bread, there is no water
and we are disgusted by this inferior food.”
Then the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people.
The snakes bit the Israelites and many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said:
‘We have sinned
for we have turned against the Lord and against you.
’Pray to the Lord to take the snakes away from us.”
Then Moses prayed for the people
and the Lord said to him:
‘Make a poisonous snake and put it on a pole.
’Everyone who is bitten and looks at it
will live.”
Moses made a bronze snake
and put it on a pole.
Anyone who had been bitten by a snake
and looked at the bronze snake
would live.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 102(101), 2-3, 16-18, 19-21
Lord, hear my prayer,
let my cry reach you. Lord, hear my prayer,
let my cry reach you.
Do not hide your face from me
when troubles press upon me.
Pay attention to me, Lord,
hear me as soon as I call upon you. The heathen shall again fear your Name,
the kings of the earth your glory, Lord;
when you rebuild the walls of Zion,
when you return there in glory;
when you hear the voice of the plundered,
do not reject their prayers. Write this down for the next generation
and let our sons thank the Lord.
The Lord looks down from his holy height,
he looks down from heaven to earth.
He will hear the cries of the captive,
and set free those doomed to death.
VERSES FOR THE GOSPEL Ps. 130(129), 5 and 7
My hope is in the Lord,
I trust in his word;
for with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
GOSPEL John 8:21-30
When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realise that I am he.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time Jesus spoke to the Pharisees :
“I am going away
and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sins.
‘Where I am going, you cannot come.‘
The Jews then said to him,
’He is not going to kill himself,
is he?
Why does he say,
‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?‘
But he again said to them,
’You are from below;
I am from above.
You are of this world;
I am not of this world.
“I told you that
that you will die in your sins,
for if you do not believe that I am he,
you will die in your sins.‘
They then asked him,
’Who are you?‘
Jesus answered,
’Why do I still talk to you about this?
“I could say many things to condemn you.
‘But He who sent me is true,
and what I have heard from Him
I say to the world.‘
They did not understand that He was speaking to them of the Father.
Then Jesus said:
’When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will realise that I am He
and that I do nothing of myself,
but all this I say
as the Father has taught Me.
‘And He who sent Me
is with Me;
He has not left Me alone
because I always do what is pleasing to Him.’
When He had said this
many believed in Him.
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On fraternity and social friendship
242. What is important is to avoid feeding the anger that destroys
the soul of the person and the soul of our people, or an unhealthy need to
destroy others that leads to a cycle of revenge unleash a long series of acts
of revenge. No one achieves inner peace or reconciles themselves with
life in this way. The truth is that ‘no family, no group of neighbours,
no ethnic group and even less so a country
has a future if the engine that unites them, brings them together and covers
their differences is revenge and hatred. We cannot reach an agreement
and not unite to take revenge, to do to those who have been violent
the same as what they have done to us, to
plan opportunities for retaliation in seemingly legal forms.
That way, you win nothing and in the end you lose everything.
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 ________________________________________________________________________