Friday – Saint Benedict, abbot

Benedict (480-547) Known for his rule for monastic life.
Patron saint for all of Europe

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

If we want to make a request to high people, we dare to do so only with humility and reverence. How much more, then, should we pray to the Lord, the God of the universe, with the greatest humility and pure godliness. And let us remember that we will not be heard because of a multitude of words, but because of our purity of heart and our mournful tears. Prayer should therefore be short and pure, unless one feels impelled by a desire, prompted by God’s grace, to continue with it. (From the Rule of Benedict)

FIRST READING          Spr. 2, 1-9
Turn your heart to understanding.

My son,
if thou wilt accept my words
and keep my commandments carefully
and then set thy ear to wisdom
and turn thy heart to understanding,
yea, if thou wilt call unto thee wisdom
and to understanding lift up thy voice,
if ye search for it like silver
and search as for hidden treasures,
then shall ye understand the fear of the LORD
and you will find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
out of his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He secures the prosperity of the righteous
and the protection of those who live blamelessly.
He preserves the paths of justice
and protects the way of his faithful.
Then ye shall understand righteousness and right,
righteousness and all good ways.

INTERLUDIUM    Ps.34(33), 2-3, 4 and 6, 9 and 12, 14-15

The Lord I will praise every day.

The Lord I will praise every day,
his praise is always on my lips.
My spirit is proud of the Lord’s favour,
let every one who hears it rejoice.

Glorify the Lord together with me
and let us worship His Name in unison.
Indulge in Him, then you will become happy,
for He will not disappoint you.

Observe and notice how gracious the Lord is,
happy is he who seeks salvation in Him.
Come, children, listen to what I say to you ;
i teach you to fear the Lord.

Restrain then your tongue from evil language,
your lips from lying words.
Avoid then evil and do only what is good,
strive always for peace and do not let it go.

GOSPEL           Mt 19:27-29
You who have given up everything to follow Me ,
shall receive it back a hundredfold.

At that time Peter said to Jesus :
“Behold, we have given up everything to follow You.
So what shall we get?”
Jesus spoke to them:
“Verily, I say unto you:
At the rebirth, when the Son of Man
shall be seated on the throne of His glory ,
ye also who have followed Me,
shall be seated upon twelve thrones
and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.
And every one who has his house, brothers or sisters, father or mother
wife, children or fields
has given up for my Name’s sake,
will receive it back a hundredfold
and receive eternal life.
___________________________________________

Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On caring for the common home

Planetary inequality
48. The human and natural environment are deteriorating together and we
will not be able to adequately cope with the
destruction of the environment if we do not address the causes that are
relate to human and societal decline. The deterioration
of the environment and society particularly affects the weakest
of the planet: “Both the common experience of ordinary
life and scientific research show that the poorest people
suffer the most serious effects of all attacks on the
environment”. The depletion of fish stocks, for example, particularly punishes
those who live off professional fishing and have nothing to
replacement, water pollution particularly affects the poorest
who do not have the possibility to buy bottled water, the rise
of the sea level mainly affects impoverished coastal peoples, who have nowhere
to move to. The effect of the current imbalance
is also evident in the premature deaths of many poor people, in the conflicts that are
caused by the lack of resources, and so many other
problems that do not find adequate space in the world’s agendas.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am