Thursday – Sint Ignatius of Loyola, pr.

Sint Ignatius of Loyola is the founder of the Jesuit order.
Born in 1491 and died in 1556

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

Once again in the reading we find information about the construction of the tent of meeting and of the ark, which bears traces of Egyptian influences. This gilded chest was made according to Egyptian models. Egyptian priests carried such chests on carrying poles in processions. The rings (verse 17) and the shape of the tent also seem to be of Egyptian origin. At the end of the book of Exodus, just before the beginning of the further desert journey, it is additionally underlined that God is present and travels with his people. Do we dwell on this in our everyday activities? What would our days look like if we built in moments where we very consciously watch God’s presence?

FIRST READING        Ex. 40, 16-21. 34-38

The cloud covered the tent of meeting
and the glory of the Lord filled the dwelling.

From the Book of Exodus

In those days, Moses carried out everything
as the Lord had prescribed.
The dwelling, the tent of meeting, was set up
in the first month of the second year,
on the first of the month.
Moses had the dwelling set up :
One placed the bases, fixed the partitions,
attached the connecting slats and erected the poles.
The tent was stretched over the house
and over it the tent roof was laid,
as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Moses laid the covenant deed in the ark,
slid the supporting rods onto the ark and laid the cover plate on top of it.
He brought the ark into the dwelling place,
hung up the veil
so that the ark with the covenant deed
according to the Lord’s command
was hidden from view.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting
and the glory of the Lord filled the dwelling.
And Moses could not enter the tent ,
for the cloud rested above it,
and the glory of the Lord filled the dwelling.
Throughout their journey, the Israelites did not move on each time
when the cloud lifted from the dwelling.
If the cloud did not lift, they kept waiting.
Throughout their journey
the cloud of the Lord rested above the dwelling,
but at night there was a glow of fire,
which was visible to all the Israelites.

INTERLUDIUM           Ps. 84(83), 3, 4, 5-6a, 8a, 11

How sweet to me is your dwelling, Lord of the heavenly powers.

My soul longs and yearns for Your sanctuary.
My heart and all my being
go out rejoicing to You, the God who lives.

For even the sparrows do find shelter,
the swallows a nest for their brood ;
to me that is Your altar, Lord of heavenly powers,
my King and my God!

Happy they who dwell in thy house, O Lord,
who may praise Thee there always;
happy who may lean on Thee
and continue his way with renewed strength.

For me, one day in Your courts is better
than a thousand days elsewhere.
Much rather I stand on the threshold of God’s house
than to be a guest in the tent of sinners.

Alleluia.     Mt 11, 25
I praise Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because You have
have revealed to children.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL                  Mt 13:47-53

The good fish were picked out and put into baskets,
the bad ones were thrown away.

From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew

At that time, Jesus said to the crowd :
“The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet
which, thrown into the sea,
brought together fish of all kinds.
“When it was full one pulled it onto the beach ;
one sat down
to pick out the good fish and put them in baskets,
the bad ones, however, were thrown away.
“So will it be at the end of the world :
The angels will go out
to seek out the wicked among the righteous
and cast them into the furnace of fire.
“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have ye understood all this ?”
They answered Him :
“Yes.”
He said to them :
“Therefore every scribe
who is taught in the kingdom of heaven ,
is like a householder
who brings out from his treasure new and old.”

When Jesus had finished these parables
he went away from there.

________________________________________________________

Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCISCUS

On caring for the common home

68. This responsibility towards an earth that belongs to God
involves man, endowed with reason, respecting the laws of nature and the
delicate balance between the creatures of this world, “for his
commandment created them all. He determined their place forever, gave
them a law that stands forever” (Ps 148:5b-6). It follows from this that
biblical law sets different standards for human beings, not only
in relation to other human beings, but also in relation to other
living creatures: “Even if a donkey or an ox of thy brother fall down ,
thou must not watch it without extending a hand […]. When thou
on the way in a tree or on the ground find a bird’s nest with young or
with eggs and the female is sitting on it, then you must not take the female and
leave the young” (Deut. 22:4.6). In this line, rest on the
seventh day is not merely prefigured for man, but also so that
“your ox and your ass may rest” (Ex. 23, 12). Thus, we realise that
the Bible does not give rise to a despotic anthropocentrism that
does not care about the other creatures.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am