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
The liturgy today teaches us to hope, and to expect. Fervently looking forward to what will come as a divine promise, not a planneda performance.Hail Mary, most blessed are you of all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb: with these words Elisabet responds to Mary’s greeting. In purely human terms, we are faced with a conundrum here. But biblically speaking, we know that God takes the initiative. Everything speaks of joy and gladness. Biblical man has a future: he lives between the already and the not quite yet. He lives with the foreshadowing of the end, the life-giving breath of God’s Spirit. Christians anticipate the feast to come: the day when God will be all in all.
FIRST READING Seph. 3, 1-18a
The Lord, the King of Israel, abides with you.
From the prophet Sephaniah
Zion rejoice for joy,
rejoice, Israel,
rejoice and be glad, Jerusalem,
with all your heart!
The judgment that pressed down on you ,
was destroyed by the Lord.
He has driven out your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel abides with thee :
now ye need fear no more mischief !
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem :
fear not, Zion,
and let not thy hands be slack.
The Lord your God is with you
as a saving hero.
Extremely He rejoices over you,
by His love He makes you new;
He rejoices over you with joy.
INTERLUDIUM Isa 12:2, 3, 4bcd, 5-6
Israel’s holy one dwells in your midst.
Yes, God is my salvation, I trust in Him,
i need fear no evil.
The Lord is my strength, the Lord gives me strength,
He shows Himself my helper and saviour.
The day is near when you will draw water
with uplifted heart from the well of salvation.
Bring thanks to the Lord and honour His Name,
proclaim to the peoples his mighty deeds,
make his greatness known everywhere.
Sing loudly to the Lord, who did wonders,
let all the earth hear.
Rejoice and rejoice, you who inhabit Zion,
for Israel’s Holy One dwells among you.
ALLELUIA Lk. 1, 45
Alleluia.
Blessed art thou, Mary, who hast believed
that unto fulfilment shall come
what was said to you because of the Lord.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 1, 39-56
To what do I owe it that the mother of my Lord comes to me ?
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
In those days Mary travelled in haste to the mountain country,
to a town in Judah.
She entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elisabeth.
As soon as Elisabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child jumped up in her womb.
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed in a loud voice :
“Thou art blessed among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
“To what do I owe it
that the mother of my Lord comes to me ?
“Behold, as soon as the sound of thy greeting reached my ear
the child leapt up with joy in my womb.
“Blessed is she who has faith that will come to fulfilment
when it is said to her because of the Lord.”
And Mary spoke :
“My heart praises high the Lord.
“For joy my spirit rejoices for God my Saviour :
for He kindly looked down on the smallness of His handmaid.
“And behold, from this day forth every generation praises me blissfully
because He who is mighty did to me His wondrous works,
and holy is His Name.
“Merciful is He from generation to generation
to those who fear Him.
“He shows the strength of His arm ;
smashes proud hearts apart.
“Rulers He takes away their thrones,
but He exalts the humble.
“Those who hunger He lavishes with gifts,
and the rich He sends empty-handed.
“His servant Israel He has drawn to Himself,
remembering His mercy towards Abraham and his generation forever,
as He had said to our fathers.”
After Mary had stayed with Elisabeth for about three months
she returned home.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On caring for the common home
United by the same care
7. These contributions by the popes include the reflections of numerous scholars
philosophers, theologians and civil society organisations that have
thinking of the Church regarding these issues. We cannot
ignore, however, that outside the Catholic Church, other
Churches and Christian communities – as well as other religions – have developed a
deep concern and precious reflection on these
themes that are dear to all of us. To mention just one particularly significant
example, I would like to briefly resume part of the
contribution of our beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,
with whom we share the hope of full ecclesial unity.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
© Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays.
Laudato Si English translation