Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross lived from 1891 to 1942.
Perished in Auschwitz.
Patron saint 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
Today’s Europe needs the presence of mature faithful Catholics and Christian missionary communities bearing witness to God’s love for all people. This renewed proclamation of Christ must be accompanied by deep unity and communion with the Church, and in dialogue with the followers of other religions. The Gospel is a light that illuminates all areas of social life: From the family, to culture, the school, the university, young people and mass media, the economy, politics. Christ meets people where they live and work, giving full meaning to their existence.
(Pope John Paul II)
FIRST READING Hos. 2, 16b.17b. 21-22
I take you as my bride, forever.
This is what the LORD says:
“I cause your mother Israel
goes to the desert and I speak to her heart.
There she will become willing again,
as in the days of her youth
when she went up from Egypt.
I take you as my bride, forever,
as my bride, in law and justice,
in goodness and mercy,
as my bride, in indissoluble faithfulness:
Then shall ye come to know the LORD.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 45(44), 11-12, 14-15, 16-17
Behold, the bridegroom is there,
go and meet Christ the Lord (cf. Mt 25:6).
Listen, daughter, be attentive,
forget your people, forget your father’s house.
Your beauty awakens the love of the king,
pay him your homage, for he is your Lord.
There the king’s daughter enters
in her beauty,
her garments of gold-woven fabric.
Dressed in splashes of colour, they lead her to the king,
with her retinue of virgins she approaches.
One overtakes them with joy and cheering,
they enter the royal dwelling.
Your sons will one day take the place of your father,
they will be princes throughout the land.
Alleluia Mt 5, 10
Alleluia.
This is the wise virgin
who finds the Lord watchful ;
at His coming she enters with Him
to celebrate wedding.
Alleluia
GOSPEL Mt 25:1-13
There is the Bridegroom, draw near to Him!
At that time, Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“It is with the kingdom of heaven
as with ten girls who went out with their lamps,
to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish, the other five wise.
For the foolish took their lamps ,
but no oil;
but the wise took their lamps
also jars of oil.
Now when the bridegroom waited for them,
they all dozed off and slept.
But in the middle of the night there was a shout:
“There is the bridegroom! Go and meet him!”
Immediately all the girls were awake
and trimmed their lamps.
The dumb said to the wise:
“Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.”
But the wise replied:
“Nay, there may not once be enough
for us and you together.
Rather go to the vendors and get some for yourselves.”
But while they were on their way to buy
came the bridegroom,
and those who were ready,
entered with him to celebrate wedding;
and the door was locked.
Later, the other girls also came and said:
“Lord, lord, open up!”
But he replied:
“Verily, I say unto thee, I know thee not.”
So be vigilant, for ye know neither day nor hour.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On caring for the common home
77. “The word of the Lord made the heavens” (Ps 33:6). Thus
we are reminded that the world comes from a decision, not from
chaos or chance and this gives it even more lustre. There is a free
choice expressed in the creative word. The universe did not
created as the result of an arbitrary omnipotence, of a display of power
or desire for self-assertion. Creation belongs to the order
of love. God’s love is the fundamental reason for all creation:
“For everything that exists Thou dost love, and Thou lovest nothing of what Thou hast
made; yea, if Thou hadst hated anything, Thou wouldst not have created it
have created it” (Wis. 11, 24). Thus every creature is subject to the tenderness
of the Father, who assigns it a place in the world. Even the fleeting
life of the most insignificant creature is subject to His love and
in those few seconds of its existence, He surrounds it with His affection.
St Basil the Great said that the Creator is also “goodness
without calculation” and Dante Alighieri spoke of the “love that moves the sun
and the other stars moves”. Therefore, one ascends from the created
works up “to His loving mercy”.
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 and Sundays
Laudato Si English translation
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