Invitation
May I ask for your attention for
the 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
Again and again we hear that many Jews believed in him. This became an ever-increasing stream, a movement that resulted in Jesus’ Messianic entry into Jerusalem. Immediately the threat to the Jewish authorities also grows. The meeting of the Sanhedrin fits perfectly into this scenario. Here the irreversible decision is made; the rest is merely a matter of execution. John sees all of this not only from a historical perspective, but also with a religious view of history.
FIRST READING Ez. 37:21-28
I will make the children of Israel one single people.
From the Prophet Ezekiel
Thus says the Lord God:
“I will gather the children of Israel,
who are scattered among the nations,
and bring them back to their own land.
‘I will make them into one nation
in the land, on the mountains of Israel,
and one king shall rule over them all.
’They shall no longer be two nations,
no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
“They shall no longer defile themselves with their idols,
their abominations and all their crimes.
‘I will forgive them of their sins of unfaithfulness
and I will cleanse them,
so that they may be my people and I may be their God.
’Then my servant David will be king over them;
they will all have one shepherd.
“They will live by my commandments
and truly observe my statutes.
‘They shall dwell in the land
that I gave to Jacob my servant,
the land where your fathers dwelt;
they and their children and their children’s children
shall dwell there for ever,
and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
’I will make a covenant of peace with them:
It shall be an everlasting covenant.
‘I will give them a home,
I will make them numerous
and establish my sanctuary among them forever.
’My dwelling shall be with them.
“So the nations shall know
that I, the Lord, make Israel holy,
for my sanctuary will be with them forever.’
INTERLUDE Jer. 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
The Lord will watch over us like a shepherd watches over his flock.
Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
announce it on distant shores. He who scattered Israel
will gather them and watch over them
as a shepherd watches over his flock.
Jacob will be freed by the Lord,
loosed from the grasp of the one who robbed him.
They will re-enter Zion with singing,
sitting down where the Lord blesses them.
Girls will dance a dance of joy
together with boys and old people.
Then I bring joy instead of mourning,
comfort and gladness after all their sorrow.
VERSE FOR THE GOSPEL John 3:16
God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish.
GOSPEL John 11:45-56
Jesus will also die to bring the scattered children of God together.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John Many
Jews who had come to Mary in those days
and seen what Jesus had done
believed in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
to tell them what Jesus had done.
The chief priests and Pharisees
thereupon convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and said:
‘What shall we do?
’For this man performs many miracles.
‘If we let him go on
all will believe in him.
’Then the Romans will come
and take away both the holy place and our nation.’
But one of them,
Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them:
‘You do not understand anything;
you do not realise that it is better for you
that one man should die for the people
than that the whole nation should perish.’
He did not say this of his own accord,
but as high priest that year he prophesied
that Jesus would die for the people,
and not just for the people
but also to bring the scattered children of God together.
From that day on they were determined to kill Him. Jesus therefore no longer moved openly among the Jews,
but left for the region near the desert,
and went to the city of Ephraim where He stayed with his disciples.
However, when the Jewish Passover was approaching,
many from the region went to Jerusalem before Passover
to be purified.
They were looking for Jesus
and said to each other as they stood in the temple :
“What do you think?
Would he not come to the feast?’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On fraternity and social friendship
The memory
246. Those who have suffered greatly
in an unjust and cruel manner cannot be expected to accept a sort of “social forgiveness.”
Reconciliation is a personal matter, and no one can impose it upon
whole of society, even if it has the task of promoting it. In
the strictly personal sphere, someone can, with a free and generous
decision, refrain from demanding punishment (cf. Matt. 5:44-46), even though
society and its justice system legitimately strive for this. However, it is
not possible to decree a ‘general pardon’ as if you could heal wounds by
decree or cover injustices with the cloak of oblivion.
Who can claim the right to forgive in the name of others?
It is touching to see the ability of some who have managed to transcend the
damage they suffered, but it is also human
to understand those who cannot. What should never be suggested in any case
is to forget.
To be continued
Every day at 7 a.m.
The Bible text in this issue 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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