Thursday in the fifteenth week

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

Today’s reading is so important because God makes his name known to Moses. This name, Yahweh appears over 6800 times in the Old Testament, but is only declared here. God is the one who is there, who will always be there for his people. The declaration is at the beginning of the exodus, the great salvific event of the people of Israel. Again and again, the Old Testament books refer to the exodus as an act of God through which Israel’s history begins and on which all the religious obligations of the people of Israel to God are based.

FIRST READING   Ex. 3, 13-20

I am who is.
He-is sends me to you.

When Moses had heard the voice of God
in the fire that flared up from a thorn bush,
he spoke again to God:
“Now when I come to the Israelites and say to them:
The God of your fathers sends me to you, and they ask:
What is his name, what shall I answer?”
Then God spoke to Moses:
“I am who is.”
And also:
“This thou must tell the Israelites:
He – is, send me unto you.”
Moreover, God said to Moses:
“This thou must say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, send me to you.
This is My name forever.
This is how you must address Me, through all generations.
Go now, call together the elders of Israel
and tell them: the LORD, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me,
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with this message:
I take care of you ,
for I see what people are doing to you in Egypt.
Therefore I have decided:
I will carry you away from the misery of Egypt
to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
Perizzites and Jebusites, a land of milk and honey.
They will listen to what thou sayest.
Then you must go with the elders of Israel
go to the king of Egypt and say to him:
The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, asks us
to have a meal before Him.
Therefore let us go three day’s journey far into the desert
to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.
I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave ,
if no strong hand compels him.
Therefore I will raise My hand and strike Egypt
with all kinds of miraculous signs that I will perform there.
Then he will let you go.”

INTERLUDIUM          Ps. 105(104), 1, 5, 8-9, 24-25, 26-27

Forever God’s covenant remains in force.
Alleluia

Glorify the Lord and worship His Name,
proclaim to the nations His deeds.
Never forget the miracles He did,
his signs and His promises.

Forever His covenant remains in force,
which He promised for a thousand generations.
The covenant He once made with Abraham,
the oath He once swore to Isaac.

The Lord formed Himself a numerous people
that became stronger than its oppressors.
He made their hospitality turn into hatred,
so that they deceived his people.

Then He sent His servant Moses to them
with Aaron whom He had chosen.
They showed the signs of the Lord,
the land of Cham saw God’s wondrous deeds.

ALLELUIA       Ps. 111(110), 8ab

Alleluia.
The Lord’s work is good and trustworthy,
all that He decides stands immovable.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL           Mt 11:28-30
I am meek and humble of heart.

At that time Jesus took the floor and spoke:
“Come to Me all you who are exhausted and burdened ,
and I will give you rest and relief.
Take My yoke on your shoulders and learn from Me:
I am meek and lowly in heart;
and ye shall find rest for your souls,
for My yoke is gentle and My burden is light.”

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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCISCUS

On caring for the common home

54. What is remarkable is the weakness of the international political response.
The subordination of politics to technology and finance
is evident in the failure of global summits on the environment.
There are too many sectional interests and economic interests very easily
prevail over the common good and information is manipulated
in order not to see one’s own plans disadvantaged. Along these lines, the
Aparecida Document that “in dealing with natural resources
not be dominated by the interests of economic groups that irrationally
destroy life’s resources”. The alliance between economics and
technology ultimately excludes everything that is not part of their
immediate interests. Thus, one would only make some superficial statements,
isolated philanthropic actions as well as efforts
to show sensitivity to the environment, when in reality every
attempt by civil society organisations to change things
will be seen as a disruption caused by romantic
dreamers, or an obstacle to be avoided.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am