Bank holidays in Italy. Mary is absolved of all sins.
Privilege given to her by God for becoming the mother of Jesus
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
Around Christmas lies a string of feasts where Mary is celebrated. But she never stands alone: She carries the Child to show him to the world. That is the real image of Mary; the icon of the Mother with the Child. The living Lord, God’s Son who became man, cannot do without a mother. This time invites us to prepare for Jesus’ coming. From now until February, it’s about both of them again and again. Today, the Church celebrates that Mary was gifted by God, safeguarded from all evil. Today’s feast is about the very beginning: A child is received, who is one and all yes, addressed to God. A girl enters the world who will never say no, not to God and not to men. Even before she lived in her mother’s womb, God’s grace had already freed her from every possible “no”. Therefore, we too may be filled with joy: He has given us everything.
FIRST READING Gen 3:9-15.20
Hostility I establish between you and the woman,
between your offspring and hers.
From the Book of Genesis
After Adam had eaten from the tree
god the Lord called man and asked him :
“Where art thou?”
He replied :
“I heard thy thunder in the garden ,
and then I became afraid, because I am naked ;
therefore I hid myself.”
But God the Lord said :
“Who told thee that thou art naked?
“Hast thou sometimes eaten of the tree
which I have forbidden thee ?”
Man replied :
“The woman whom Thou hast given me as a companion ,
she gave me of that tree,
and then I ate.”
Thereupon God the Lord asked the woman :
“How hast thou been able to do that?”
The woman said :
“The serpent tempted me ,
and then I ate.”
God the Lord then said to the serpent :
“Because thou hast done this ,
thou art cursed among all domestic animals
and among all wild beasts !
“On thy belly shalt thou crawl and dust shalt thou eat ,
all the days of thy life !
“Enmity I put between thee and woman,
between thy offspring and hers.
“This shall threaten thy head
and thou his heel !”
Man called his wife Eve,
for she became the mother of all living.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 98(97), 1, 2-3ab, 3c-4
Sing to the Lord a new song
because He did wonders.
Sing to the Lord a new song
because He did wonders.
His hand asserted itself powerfully,
the power of His holy arm.
His benefits He made known to us,
the peoples His justice.
Once again His goodness and faithfulness proved
in favour of Israel’s house.
All the earth beheld
what our God did for us.
Glorify the Lord, all nations,
be glad, rejoice and sing.
SECOND READING Eph. 1:3-6,11-12
In Christ, God chose us
before the foundation of the world.
From the holy apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians of Ephesus
Blessed is God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in heaven in Christ
with every spiritual blessing.
In Him He has chosen us
before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and spotless before Him.
In love He has predestined us
to become His children through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace.
With this He has endowed us in the Beloved,
in whom also we have received our inheritance,
predestined to it by the disposition of Him
who brings all things into being according to the decision of His will,
so that we may spread the praise of his glory,
we who had already built up our hope in the Christ.
ALLELUIA Lk. 1, 28
Alleluia.
Rejoice, Mary, gifted one,
the Lord is with thee ;
thou art blessed among women.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Lk. 1:26-38
Rejoice, Gifted One, the Lord is with you.
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
In those days the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence
to a city in Galilee, Nazareth,
to a virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph,
from the house of David;
the virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel entered her and spoke :
“Rejoice, Gifted One, the Lord is with thee,
thou art the blessed one among women.”
She was startled by that word
and wondered what that greeting could mean anyway.
But the angel said to her :
“Fear not Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
“Behold, thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son
and thou must give Him the name Jesus.
“He shall be great
and be called Son of the Most High.
“God the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David
and He shall be King over the house of Jacob for ever and ever
and His kingship will never come to an end.”
Mary, however, spoke to the angel :
“How shall this come about since I know no man?
To this the angel answered her :
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you ;
therefore whatever is brought into the world
shall be called holy, Son of God.
“Know that even Elisabeth, thy kinswoman ,
in her old age conceived a son
and, though she was called barren ,
she is now in her sixth month ;
for before God nothing is impossible.”
Now Mary said :
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord ,
unto me according to thy word be done.”
And the angel went from her.
Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On caring for the common home
208. It is always possible to develop the ability to leave one’s
isolation and move towards the other. Without this ability
one does not recognise other creatures in their own worth, one is not
interested in doing something for another, lacks the ability
to set oneself boundaries to avoid suffering or the degradation of our environment.
The fundamental attitude to transcend oneself,
breaking through one’s isolation and self-involvement, is the
origin for a caring attitude towards others and the
environment. When we are able to overcome individualism, one can
actually establish an alternative lifestyle and a
a significant change in society becomes possible.
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 and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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