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
From 17 December, we live towards Christmas in a different key. The O antiphons are coming and the great ancient stories referring to the Messiah are coming up. Today we have the blessing of Jacob with the text spoken for Judah. “From Judah the sceptre shall not depart, the staff shall not disappear between his feet, until he appear who may carry it: to him the nations are obedient.” An allusion to the kingship of David. The response psalm is a king psalm and hooks into that, and the gospel gives the genealogical tree of Jesus starting from Judah. It is kingly tradition in messianic expectation.
FIRST READING Genesis 49.1a-2.8-10
From Judah the sceptre shall not depart.
From the book of Genesis
In those days Jacob summoned
his sons and spoke:
“Come together now and listen, sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel here, your father.
Judah, you your brothers praise;
your hand presses down the necks of your enemies,
before you stand the sons of your father bowed down.
The cub of a lion is Judah;
with robbery you have come up, my son!
He plies down, he lies like a lion,
like the king of beasts; who dares to awaken him?
From Judah the sceptre shall not depart,
the staff shall not vanish between his feet,
till He appear who may carry it:
To Him the nations are obedient.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps 72(71), 2, 3-4ab, 7-8, 17
Righteousness will blossom in his days
and prosperity everywhere till the end of the months.
My God, grant the king your wisdom,
the king’s son your justice.
May he rule your people justly,
your poor with equity.
Then peace flows down from the mountains,
and from the hills justice.
He will protect the lowly people,
redeem the sons of the poor.
Justice will blossom in his days
and prosperity everywhere till the end of the months.
He will rule from sea to sea,
from the River to the border of the earth.
Forever remain his name praised,
in honour as long as there are days.
His name be a blessing to all tribes,
among all peoples with praise.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia.
Wisdom of the Most High,
all things Thou governest with power and understanding ;
come, and teach us the way of knowledge and wisdom.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt 1:1-17
Genesis of Jesus Christ, son of David.
Sex list of Jesus Christ,
son of David,
son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac of Jacob,
Jacob of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Peres and Zerach,
who were born of Tamar.
Peres was the father of Chesron,
Chesron of Aram,
Aram of Amminádab,
Amminádab of Nachson,
Nachson of Salmon,
Salmon of Boaz, who was born of Rahab.
Boaz was the father of Obed,
born of Ruth.
Obed was the father of Isaï
and Isaï of David, the king.
David was the father of Solomon,
who was born of the wife of Uría.
Solomon was the father of Rechabeam,
Rechabeam of Abía,
Abía of Asa,
Asa of Jósaphat,
Jósaphat of Joram,
Joram of Uzzía,
Uzzía of Jotam,
Jotam of Achaz,
Achaz of Hizkía,
Hizkía of Manásse,
Manásse of Amon,
Amon of Josiah,
Josiah of Jechóniah and his brothers,
during the time of the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile
jechóniah became the father of Seáltiel,
Seáltiel of Zerúbabel,
Zerúbabel of Abiúd,
Abiúd of Eljakim,
Eljakim of Azor,
Azor of Sadok,
Sadok of Achim,
Achim of Eliúd,
Eliúd of Eleázar,
Eleázar of Mattan,
Mattan of Jacob.
Now Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,
and of her was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
In all, then, from Abraham to David there are
fourteen generations,
from David to the Babylonian captivity
also fourteen generations
and from the Babylonian captivity to the Christ
also fourteen generations.
Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCISCUS
On caring for the common home
217. If “the outer deserts multiply in the world,
because the inner deserts have become so vast”, the
ecological crisis a call for a profound inner conversion. We
must also recognise, however, that some committed and praying Christians,
under the pretext of realism and pragmatism, often scoff at
environmental concerns. Others are passive, deciding not to change their
habits and become inconsistent. They thus lack
of ecological conversion, which implies that they incorporate all the consequences of the encounter with Jesus in their relationship with the world around them come to flourish. The vocation to be guardians of God’s work, to give practical is an essential part of a virtuous existence.
It is neither something optional nor a secondary
aspect of the Christian experience.
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
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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