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
In Christ, God’s love has appeared on earth: He will never refuse His love. He transcends all boundaries, transcends all differences. The smallest receive His attention. Rejected or despised, sick and poor, small and insignificant, fearful and humble: He will heal them all and give them a new place among people. That is why we too are committed to breaking through closed circles, and we are called to become bearers of God’s love. For ‘is it not more lawful to save than to kill’?
FIRST READING I Sam. 17:32-33, 37,40-51
With a sling and a stone, David was stronger than the Philistine.
From the First Book of Samuel
In those days,
David was brought to Saul, and he said:
“Let no one lose heart because of that Philistine;
your servant will go and fight him.
Saul said to David:
“You cannot go and fight that Philistine!
You are only a lad,
and he has been a fighter from his youth.”
But David said:
“The Lord, who saved me
from the claws of lions and bears,
will also save me from the hands of that Philistine.”
Then Saul said to David:
“Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
David took his staff in his hand,
picked five smooth stones from the stream,
put them in his shepherd’s bag, the bag for sling stones,
and went towards the Philistine with his sling in his hand.
The Philistine came, preceded by his shield bearer;
he drew nearer and nearer to David.
But when he saw David and looked him over,
he began to mock him,
because David was only a boy,
ruddy and handsome.
He called out to David,
“Am I a dog,
that you come at me with a staff?”
And he began to curse David by his gods.
“Come here,” he called out to him,
“and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”
But David said to the Philistine:
“You come against me with sword and javelin,
but I come against you
in the name of the Lord of hosts,
whom you have defied.
Today the Lord will deliver you to me;
I will strike you down, cut off your head,
and today I will give the corpses of the Philistines
to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
All the earth shall know that Israel has a God.
All this multitude shall know
that the Lord does not save by sword or spear.
For the Lord decides the battle,
and He will deliver you into our hands.”
When the Philistine began to advance,
David ran down the ranks toward the Philistine.
He reached into his bag,
took out a stone, slung it at the Philistine,
and struck him on the forehead.
The stone sank into his head,
and the Philistine fell face down on the ground.
Thus David, with his sling and stone, was stronger than the Philistine; he struck him dead without using a sword. Now David ran to the Philistine; he stood over him, drew the Philistine’s sword from its sheath, cut off his head and killed him. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead,
they fled.
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 144(143), 1, 2, 9-10
I will exalt the Lord, my rock!
I will exalt the Lord, my rock,
He strengthened my arms in battle,
my hands skilled in fighting.
My support and my fortress, my protector and saviour,
my shield and my refuge, who subdues nations.
Then I will sing a new song to you, my God,
I will play the lyre for you.
For you who give victory to kings,
who saved David, your servant.
ALLELUIA Ps . 145(144), 13cd
Alleluia.
God is true in all his words
and holy in all his deeds.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk. 3:1-6
Is it not lawful on the Sabbath to save a life
rather than to kill?
From the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
At that time, Jesus went to the synagogue
where there was a man with a withered hand.
The Pharisees watched Jesus closely
to see if He would heal that man on the Sabbath,
with the intention of accusing Him.
Jesus said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come and stand in the middle.”
Then He asked them:
“Is it not lawful on the Sabbath to do good rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to kill?”
But they were silent.
Then, angry,
but at the same time saddened by the hardness of their hearts,
He looked around
and said to the man:
“Stretch out your hand, and it will be restored.”
The Pharisees went out
and immediately conspired with the Herodians
to destroy Jesus.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
4. Eight years after Pacem in Terris, blessed Pope Paul VI referred
to ecological issues in 1971 and presented them as a crisis that
is a “dramatic consequence” of uncontrolled human activity:
“Through reckless exploitation of nature, he is in danger of destroying
it and becoming a victim of this destruction himself”.
He also spoke to the FAO about the possibility “of a true ecological
disaster as a consequence of the effects of industrial society”, emphasising
“the urgency and necessity” of “a radical change in the behaviour of
mankind, because “the most remarkable scientific progress, the most
astonishing technical achievements, the most
urgency and necessity” of “a radical change in
human behaviour, because “the most extraordinary scientific
advances, the most astonishing technical achievements, the most
miraculous economic growth, will ultimately turn against humanity
if they are not accompanied by genuine social and moral progress”.
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