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
Yesterday’s parables continue in the stoning scene. ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ and, in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin’ are the laments. Notable in this account is the mention of Paul, then the persecutor of Christians. Luke writes: ‘Paul consented to the murder of this man, and Paul too will later confirm this: “I persecuted God’s Church”. Luke clearly has an intention when he accentuates Paul’s presence as a persecutor. The phrase about Paul follows immediately after quoting Stephen’s words – ‘Lord do not charge them with this sin.’ Did Paul hear these words of forgiveness – and did he already understand at that point that he had to make a radical break with his life ?
FIRST READING Acts 7:51-8:1a
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days Stephen spoke to the people,
to the elders and the scribes :
‘Stubborn and uncircumcised of heart and ear,
still you resist the Holy Spirit
just as your fathers did.
‘Which of the prophets were not persecuted by your fathers?
‘Slain have they slain those
who announced the coming of the Righteous One,
whose traitors and murderers ye have now become,
ye yet
who received the Law through the mediation of the angels ;
but ye have not kept it!’
When they heard this they became furious
and they gritted their teeth against him.
But Stephen,
filled with the Holy Spirit,
gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus, standing at God’s right hand ;
and he exclaimed :
‘I see the heavens open
and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand.’
But they began to shout loudly,
plugged their ears
and stormed towards him as one man.
They dragged him outside the gate and stoned him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man called Saul.
While they were stoning Stephen
he prayed :
‘Lord Jesus receive my spirit.’
Then he fell to his knees
and cried out in a loud voice :
‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’
After these words, he resigned.
Saul agreed to kill this man.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 31(30), 3cd-4, 6ab, 7b, 8a, 17, 21ab
Trustingly I place my spirit in your hands, Lord.
Be to me a rock where I can flee,
a strong fortress where I can dwell in safety.
For always You are my rock and my fortress,
Thy Name is my leader and guide.
Trustingly I place my spirit in Your hands,
Thou wilt protect me, faithful God.
I put my trust in Thee, Lord,
I may rejoice in Your mercy.
Let Your Face shine upon Your servant,
save me by Your mercy.
The radiance of Your Face protects me always
when people turn against me.
Thou takest me up in thy tent,
shelter me from evil tongues.
ALLELUIA Lk. 24, 46
Alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and die
and rise from the dead,
and thus enter into his glory.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 6:30-35
Not Moses, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
In those days the crowd said to Jesus :
‘What sign wilt thou do
by which we can see that we must believe in Thee ?
‘What do Thou actually do?
‘Our fathers ate the manna in the desert ,
as it is written :
Bread from heaven He gave them to eat.’
Jesus resumed :
‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee :
what Moses gave you was not the bread from heaven ;
the true bread from heaven
is given to you by my Father ;
For the bread of God comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.’
They said to Him :
‘Lord, give us that bread at all times.’
Jesus spoke to them:
‘I am the bread of life :
whoever comes to Me shall hunger no more,
and whoever believes in Me will never thirst again.’
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical by
Pope Francis
On brotherhood and social friendship
269. Let us remember that ‘even a murderer does not lose his personal
dignity does not lose it and God himself vouches for it’.The
determined rejection of capital punishment shows to what extent it is possible
to recognise the inalienable dignity of every human being and to
accept that he or she has a place in this world. For if I don’t give it
to the worst criminal, I will not deny it to anyone, I will
allow everyone to share this planet with me despite what
can separate us.
To be continued
every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this issue 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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