Invitation
May I draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation is intended to share with you the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their heart
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration
God does not allow Himself to be bound, not even to the ark. He remains a free God and no one can force Him to intervene. That the Israelites lose the battle while God’s ark is in their camp; that the ark of God is captured; it seems unimaginable to a certain Jewish mentality. But later, too, the people of Israel repeatedly experienced that God was bound neither to the ark nor to the temple. A receptive heart that expects everything but demands nothing for itself is the place where God can come home in complete freedom.
FIRST READING I Sam. 4:1-11
The Israelites were defeated
and the ark of God was captured.
From the First Book of Samuel
In those days,
the Israelites went to war against the Philistines;
they set up camp at Eben-Haëzer,
while the Philistines were encamped at Afek.
The Philistines drew up in battle formation opposite the Israelites.
A battle ensued across the entire line.
The Israelites were defeated,
and the Philistines killed about four thousand men along the front in the open field.
When the people returned to camp,
the elders of Israel said,
“Why has the Lord defeated us today by the Philistines?
“We will bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh.
“It must come among us
to deliver us from the hands of our enemies.”
The people had the ark brought from Shiloh,
the ark of the covenant of God,
the Lord of the heavenly hosts,
who is enthroned on the cherubim.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
accompanied the ark.
When the ark of the covenant of the Lord
arrived in the camp,
the Israelites raised such a mighty shout
that the ground shook.
The Philistines heard it and asked,
“What is this loud shouting
in the camp of the Hebrews?”
When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, they were afraid.
They said,
“God has come into the camp!
Woe to us, for this has never happened before.
Woe to us!
Who will deliver us from the hands
of this mighty God?
“This is the same God
who struck the Egyptians in the desert
with all kinds of plagues, isn’t it?
“Be brave, Philistines, and act like men.
“Otherwise, you will become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they have been to you.
“Be men and defend yourselves.”
The Philistines went on the attack.
The Israelites were defeated
and fled to their tents.
It was a heavy defeat;
thirty thousand men of Israel were killed:
the ark of God was captured
and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.
INTERLUDIUM Ps . 44(43), 10-11, 14-15,24-25
Arise and come to our aid, Lord,
save us in your mercy.
You have rejected us and put us to shame,
and no longer go out with our armies.
You have made us flee before the enemy,
those who hate us plunder us.
Now we are mocked by our neighbours,
the people around us mock us.
We are discussed among the heathens,
the nations shake their heads at us.
Why do you hide your face from us?
Do you not see our suffering and our torment?
We are humbled to the dust,
we lie stuck to the earth.
ALLELUIA Ps. 19(18), 9
Alleluia.
Your precepts, Lord, are trustworthy,
they make the ignorant wise.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk 1:40-45
Immediately the leprosy disappeared and the man was cleansed.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
A leper came to Jesus
and fell on his knees and begged Him,
“If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand,
touched the man, and said to him,
“I am willing, be clean.”
Immediately the leprosy disappeared and he was cleansed.
As Jesus sent him away, He urged him emphatically:
“See that you tell no one,
but go and show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed,
to prove it to them.”
Once he had left,
the man began to tell his story everywhere in public
and to publicise the matter,
with the result
that Jesus could no longer enter the city openly,
but stayed outside in lonely places.
Nevertheless, people came to him from all sides.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On caring for our common home.
246. After this long, joyful and at the same time serious reflection, I propose two prayers, one that we can share with all who believe in a creative, almighty God, and another so that we Christians can take on the responsibilities towards creation that the Gospel of Jesus sets before us.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am.
The Bible text in this edition is taken fromThe New Bible Translation,
©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007.
Reflections from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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