Saint Boniface was an Anglo-Saxon missionary born in 672 or 675.
Murdered in Dokkum on 5 June 754 or 755.
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
In Jerusalem, turmoil arises around Paul. He is imprisoned and brought before the Sanhedrin. Two things are of great importance here. As with Gamaliael at the time, the Sanhedrin was now divided between Pharisees (who accept the resurrection) and Sadducees (who deny it). Paul knows how to make clever use of those divisions. But there is more. As then before the judgment seat of Gallio in Corinth, Luke underlines that Christianity is not dangerous to the Roman state system. It seems as if Luke wants to reassure Roman machers: what goes on between Jews and Christians is not a matter for Roman courts.
FIRST READING Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
Thou shalt testify for my cause in Rome.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days the commander wanted to know accurately
what Paul was accused of by the Jews,
therefore had him released from prison the following day
and gave orders
that the high priests and all the Sanhedrin should assemble.
Then he had Paul brought there
and take his seat before them.
Knowing that the Sanhedrin was partly made up of Sadducees
and partly of Pharisees,
paul now exclaimed in the Sanhedrin :
“Men brothers,
i am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees.
“For the sake of the expectation and resurrection of the dead, I am on trial.”
When he had said this
strife arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees
and the assembly became divided.
After all, the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection
and that there are no angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees assume both.
Thus a great tumult arose
and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees
assured with great vehemence :
“We find nothing wrong in this man !
“If once a spirit or an angel spoke to him ?”
As the disagreement grew worse
and as the commander began to fear
that they would tear Paul apart,
he ordered the soldiers to come down
to hastily remove him from their midst
and bring him to the barracks.
In the next night, the Lord stood before him and spoke :
“Keep good courage ;
for as thou hast testified for my cause in Jerusalem ,
so shall ye have to do also in Rome.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 16(15), 1-2a, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Protect me, God, to thee do I take refuge.
I thank the Lord who has always guided me,
He speaks into my heart even at night.
Always I keep my eyes fixed on the Lord,
i do not fall, for He is beside me.
You will show me the way of life
to find all my joy with Thee,
perpetual happiness at Thy side.
ALLELUIA Jn 16:7 and 13
Alleluia.
The Spirit of truth I will send unto you, saith the Lord,
and He will bring you to the full truth.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 17:20-26
That they may be perfectly one!
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
at that time Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed :
“Holy Father ,
not for them alone do I pray
but also for those who believe in Me through their word ,
that they may all be one
as Thou, Father in Me and I in Thee :
that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe
that Thou hast sent Me.
“I have given them the glory which Thou hast given Me,
that they may be one as We are one:
“I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfectly one
and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me
and loved them as Thou hast loved Me.
“Father, I want those whom Thou hast given Me
may be with Me where I am,
that they may behold My glory,
which Thou hast given Me
since Thou hast loved Me
before the foundation of the world;
“Righteous Father, though the world has not recognised Thee,
I have acknowledged Thee,
and these here have acknowledged that Thou hast sent Me.
“Thy name have I revealed unto them, and I will continue to do so ,
that the love with which Thou hast loved Me
may be in them and I in them.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On caring for the common home
12. On the other hand, St Francis, in fidelity to Scripture, keeps us
to recognise nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us
and transmits to us something of his beauty and goodness, “for
from the greatness and beauty of creatures one becomes aware by
comparison their Creator” (Wis. 13:5), and “from the creation
of the world His invisible being is seen by reason in His works
beheld” (Rom. 1:20). Therefore, he asked that in the monastery there should always be
part of the garden be left uncultivated, so that wild herbs
could grow, so that all those who would admire them could raise their thoughts
to God, the Creator of so much beauty. The
world is more than a problem to be solved, it is a
joyful mystery that we contemplate with joyful praise.
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