Friday in the thirty-fourth week through the year

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 and tomorrow we read from the apocalyptic section of Daniel. The two readings make up one whole. Today there is the vision; tomorrow the explanation. It is not so important for us to identify all these beasts and horns into historical kings. The author’s intention is all too clear. He lives at the time of the vevolution of Antiochus IV and of the Maccabean revolt. He wants to encourage the afflicted people by announcing God’s salvation. What words do we speak to people who are being tried ?

FIRST READING                    Dan. 7, 2-14

With the clouds of heaven
i saw someone coming who looked like a Son of Man.

In those days, Daniel spoke:
“In my nightly vision I saw
that the four winds of heaven
stirred up the great sea
and four great beasts rose out of it.
“The first resembled a lion, but had eagle’s wings.
“I saw that its wings were torn out,
after which it was raised from the earth
and set like a man on two feet
and was given a human heart.
“Then came another animal, the second one, which resembled a bear ;
it raised itself up on one side
and held between the teeth in its maw three ribs.
“One said to the animal : On ! Eats a lot of meat!
“Then I saw another animal ,
which resembled a leopard;
it had four bird wings on its back
and it had four heads.
“Dominion was given to it.
“Finally, in my night vision, I saw a fourth animal;
it was terrifying, fearsome and tremendously strong;
it had great iron teeth, with which it ate and ground,
and what it left behind it trampled with its paws.
“It differed from all other animals and it had ten horns.
“As I looked at those horns,
i saw how between those horns an eleventh,
a small horn, advanced
and how three were torn out
to make way for the little horn.
“That horn had human eyes and a mouth full of big talk.
And as I continued to watch
i saw that thrones were placed
and a Highborn sat down;
his robe was white as snow
and his head hair white as wool.
His throne was made up of flames,
its wheels of blazing fire.
A stream of fire welled up and flowed before Him.
A thousand times thousands served Him
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court sat down and the books were opened.
Then I saw that the fourth beast
because of the boasting of the hearer
was slain, and its carcass was given up to the fire
and was thus destroyed.
The other beasts were also robbed of their power,
but they were left alive for a short time.
In my night vision I then saw
approaching with the clouds of heaven someone
who resembled a Son of Man.
He went to the Most High and was led before Him.
Then dominion was given to Him,
glory and royal power;
all nations, tribes and languages paid homage to Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that never perishes,
his kingdom never perishes.”

INTERLUDIUM                    Dan. 3, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

Praise the Lord, praise and exalt Him forever.

Praise Him, mountains and hills,
all that grows there, praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, all springs,
seas and streams, praise Him.

Praise the Lord, all that lives in the water,
birds of the sky, praise Him.

Praise Him, wild and tame beasts,
praise and exalt Him forever.

ALLELUIA                 John 14, 5
Alleluia.
I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord ;
no one comes to the Father except through Me.
Alleluia.

At that time Jesus made a comparison
and said to his disciples:
“Look at the fig tree and at all the other trees:
as soon as they sprout you will automatically know, when you see,
that summer is coming.
Likewise, when you see all these things,
then know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Verily, I say unto you:
This generation shall not pass away until all this is done.
Heaven and earth shall pass away
but my words shall not pass away.”

________________________________________________________

Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCISCUS

On caring for the common home

198. Politics and economics tend to blame each other for poverty
and environmental decay. But what we are waiting for is
for them to acknowledge their own mistakes and find forms of interaction that are
aim at the common good. While some seek only
for economic returns and the other is only obsessed with
maintain or increase power, the result is wars and vague agreements,
while protecting the environment and caring for the
weakest interests both parties less. Again, the principle that
“unity prevails over conflict”.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am