Saint Scholastica was born in Nursia (c. 480-543).
She is the twin sister of Saint Benedict.
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 this joy
by opening their heart to the healing
action of God’s word.
Consideration
Solomon’s temple was the greatest thing a believing Jew could imagine as a tribute to God. Hence the trauma caused by its subsequent destruction. Was God no longer with his people? Today’s text offers a theological reflection on the profound meaning of the temple and its relationship with God: “Will you, God, really dwell on earth?” Can a temple or a church contain God? Is God present there among his people, or is he so exalted that a place is needed to address someone who dwells elsewhere? What image do we have of our God?
FIRST READING 1 Kings 8, 22-23, 27-30
You have said that your name will dwell there,
and that you will hearthere
the supplications of your people Israel.
From the first book of Kings
In those days, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,
before the whole community of Israel.
He spread out his hands towards heaven and said:
‘Lord, God of Israel,
there is no other god in heaven above
or on earth below,
who is so merciful and faithful
to the covenant with your servants
who turn their steps towards you with all their hearts.
‘But, God, will you really dwell on earth?
Even the heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain you!
How then can this temple I have built?
“Pay attention to the supplications of your servant,
Lord, my God,
and hear his cry
and the prayer that your servant is offering you today.
“May your eyes watch over this temple day and night
and the sanctuary of which you have said
that your name would dwell there,
and hear the prayer
that your servant offers to you in this place.
Hear, then, the supplication of your servant
and of your people Israel,
who will offer it in this place.
Yes, you will hear it from heaven, your dwelling place.
Hear, then, and forgive.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps. 84(83), 3, 4, 5, 10, 11
How I love your dwelling place, Lord of heavenly powers!
My soul longs and yearns for your sanctuary.
My heart and all my being
rejoice in you, living God.
For even the sparrows find shelter,
the swallows a nest for their young;
for me it is your altar, Lord of heavenly powers,
my king and my God.
Happy are those who dwell in your house, O Lord,
who can always praise you there.
God, my protector, look down,
look upon your anointed one.
For me, one day in your courtyard is better
than a thousand days elsewhere.
I would rather be at the threshold of God’s house
than be a guest in the tent of sinners.
ALLELUIA cf. Lk 8, 15
Alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and keep it in a good and noble heart,
and bear fruit through their perseverance.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mk 7, 1-13
You abandon the commandment of God
and cling to the tradition of men.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
Once, the Pharisees
and some scribes from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,
and saw that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands,
that is, without washing them.
For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they first wash their fingertips, adhering to the tradition of their ancestors;
when they come from the market,
they do not eat without first purifying themselves;
there are many other things
to which they adhere by tradition:
the washing of cups, jugs, and copper utensils.
Therefore, the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus,
“Why do your disciples not behave
according to the tradition of the ancestors,
but eat with unclean hands?”
He answered them,
“How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites!
For it is written:
‘This people honours me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They honour me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
‘You abandon the commandment of God
and cling to the tradition of men:
washing jugs and cups,
and doing other such things.’
“It is beautiful,”
He continued,
“that you set aside the commandment of God
to uphold your tradition.
“For Moses said,
‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and
‘Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.’
“And yet you teach,
‘If anyone says to his father or mother,
All I can do for you is Korban,
which means: offering,
you no longer allow him
to do anything for his father or mother.
Thus you invalidate the word of God
in favour of the tradition you pass on.
And you do many things like this.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On the care of our common home
24. In turn, global warming has an impact on the carbon dioxide cycle.
It creates a vicious circle that further aggravates the situation and will
affect the availability of essential resources such as
drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer areas, and
will cause the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.
The melting of the polar ice caps and high mountain ice threatens a dangerous release of methane gas, and the decomposition of frozen organic matter could further increase carbon dioxide emissions.
In turn, the loss of tropical forests exacerbates the situation, as these help to moderate climate change.
Pollution caused by carbon dioxide increases the acidity of the oceans and endangers the marine food chain. If the current trend continues,
the average temperature of the planet will increase by 2.5 °C by the year 2100. If the current trend continues, this century could witness unprecedented climate change and unprecedented devastation of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us. Sea level rise, for example, can create extremely serious situations, considering that a quarter of the world’s population lives by the sea or very close to it, and that most metropolises are located on the coast.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The biblical text in this edition is takenfrom The New Translation of the Bible,
© Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Reflections from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English Translation