St Hedwig was a daughter of Count Berthold IV.
She was patron of Bavaria and Berlin and canonised in 1266.
Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wishes 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
Paul writes to the Christians of Rome. Who are they? How does Paul know that congregation ? In 49, Claudius had driven out the Jews and Paul had met some of them, including Aquila and Priscilla, on his travels. After Claudius’ death, those Jews had returned in 54 to find a large pagan-Christian community there. This inevitably caused friction. First (today) the pagans are addressed. They cannot be excused by ignorance (because they did not have the revelation of the Jews). They had sufficient elements to know God, but they turned to idols.
FIRST READING Rom. 3:21-29
Man is justified by believing,
not by keeping the law.
From the letter of the holy apostle Paul to the Christians of Rome
Brothers and sisters,
Now beyond the law
God’s righteousness has been revealed,
of which the law and the prophets bear witness:
God’s righteousness,
which communicates itself through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe,
without any distinction.
For all have sinned
and all are deprived of divine glory.
And all are justified freely by his grace,
by virtue of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Him has God, for those who believe,
appointed him as an atoning sacrifice through his blood.
God thus wanted to show His righteousness,
for He had in His forbearance
forgiven the sins of the past.
He wanted to show His righteousness
now, at this time,
so that He Himself might prove righteous
and justifies everyone who lives by faith.
So where does that leave one’s own glory?
That has become impossible!
By what law?
By that of works?
No, by the law of faith.
On the contrary, I claim that man is justified by believing,
not by keeping the law.
Is God sometimes only the God of the Jews
and not of the Gentiles?
Nay, also of the Gentiles,
for there is only one God.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 130(129), 1-2, 3-4b, 4c-6
The Lord is ever merciful,
his mercy unlimited.
Out of the depths I cry, Lord,
listen to my voice.
Will attentively hear
to my supplication.
If Thou continue to remember sins,
Lord, who will stand?
But with Thee I find forgiveness,
therefore my heart seeks Thee.
In the Lord I put my hope,
in His Word I trust.
Eagerly I look forward to Him
more than watchmen to the morning.
More than watchmen to the morning
does Israel yearn for Him.
ALLELUIA Ps. 95(94), 8ab
Alleluia.
Listen today to the voice of the Lord
and be not obstinate.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 11, 47-54
This generation will be held accountable
for the blood of all the prophets shed
from the foundation of the world.
From the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
At that time Jesus said to the lawgivers:
“Woe to you!
Ye build the tombs of the prophets ,
but thy fathers slew them.
By this ye bear witness
that ye approve of the works of your fathers,
for they killed them and ye build their tombs.
Therefore also God’s wisdom has said:
I will send prophets and emissaries to them ,
but some of them shall they slay and persecute,
so that this generation shall be held responsible
for the blood of all the prophets
which was shed from the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias,
who was slain between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I say to you,
this generation will be responsible!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
Thou hast taken away the key of knowledge.
Ye yourselves have not entered,
and them that wished to enter
thou hast prevented it.”
When He came out,
the scribes and Pharisees started
– fiercely bitten at Him –
Asking Him all kinds of questions,
with the covert intention
To catch Him on the basis of some utterance or other.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On the care of the common home
155. Human ecology also involves a profound aspect:
the necessary relationship of human life to the moral law written in its
own nature, an indispensable relationship in order to create a more dignified
environment. Pope Benedict stated that there is “a sociology
of man” exists because “man too has a nature that must be
respect and cannot manipulate at will”. Along these lines, one must
one recognises that our bodies place us in a direct relationship with the environment and the other living beings. Accepting one’s own body
as a gift from God is necessary to accept the whole world as a gift from
the Father and common home and to accept it. The
logic of rule over one’s own body, on the other hand, turns
into a sometimes subtle logic of rule over creation. The
learning to accept one’s own body, care for it and respect its meaning
of it is essential for a true human ecology. Also
accepting one’s own male or female body is necessary
to be able to recognise oneself in the opposite sex. Thus, it is
possible to accept with joy the specific gift of the other, male or female, as a
work of God the Creator, to accept and enrich each other. Therefore,
an attitude that pretends to “dissolve sexual difference, because
one can no longer set oneself apart with it” is unhealthy.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays
Laudato Si Official EnglishTranslation
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