Wednesday – Our Lady of Lourdes

The pilgrimage to Lourdes attracts
millions of visitors every year.

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

Who does not seek wisdom? A solution to difficulties? A wise companion who gives advice? Solomon’s fame is illustrated here in a beautiful Eastern story. Prosperity and wisdom go hand in hand here, and the theological note is not missing: for example, the Queen of Sheba praises and blesses God for such a wise king. Yet the wisdom of which the Gospel speaks is totally different. It is not outward display or pomp, not outward behaviour in itself, but only the inner self that is the ultimate and binding criterion for Jesus.

FIRST READING                1 Kings 10, 1-10
The Queen of Sheba realised how wise Solomon was.

From the First Book of Kings

In those days, the fame
that the Lord had bestowed upon Solomon
had also reached the Queen of Sheba,
and she wanted to test him personally with riddles.
She went to Jerusalem
with a very large procession of camels,
laden with incense, a great deal of gold and precious stones.
When she came to Solomon, she presented him with everything she had in mind.
But Solomon knew the answer to all her questions;
nothing was so obscure to the king
that he could not give an answer.
When the Queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was
and saw the palace he had built,
the food on his table,
the courtiers who sat with him,
the servants in their uniforms, the cupbearers,
the burnt offerings he regularly offered in the temple of the Lord,
she was beside herself with amazement.
She said to the king:
“So it is true what I heard in my country
about your wisdom and your undertakings.
“I could not believe it,
until I came here and saw it with my own eyes.
“Truly, they have not told me half;
you possess more wisdom and wealth than I had heard.
“What a privilege for your men,
what a privilege for your servants,
to stand before you continually
and hear your words of wisdom.
“Blessed be the Lord your God,
who has been so pleased with you
that He has placed you on the throne of Israel
and, in His enduring love for Israel,
has appointed you king
to uphold justice and righteousness.
She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold,
a great quantity of incense, and precious stones.
Never again has so much incense been brought
as the Queen of Sheba gave
to King Solomon.

INTERLUDIUM                   Ps. 37(36), 5-6, 30-31,39-40

The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom.

Commit your way to the Lord,
trust in him, he will take care of it.
Your honour will shine like the dawn,
your justice like the noonday sun.

The mouth of the righteous proclaims wisdom,
his tongue speaks sincerely.
The law of his God is in his heart,
his steps do not falter.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
He is their refuge in times of trouble.
The Lord stands by them and delivers them,
He saves those who turn to Him.

ALLELUIA                Mt. 11, 25

Alleluia.
I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because You have revealed these things to children.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL                    Mark 7, 14-23

What comes out of a person is what defiles them.

From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

At that time, Jesus called the people to him again and said to them:
“Listen to me, all of you, and understand:
nothing that enters a person from outside can defile him.
But what comes out of a person
is what defiles him.
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
After He had withdrawn from the people
and come home,
His disciples asked Him about the parable.
He answered them:
“Do you still understand so little?
“Do you not realise
that everything that comes into a person from outside
cannot defile him,
because it does not enter his heart but his belly,
and finds its way into a certain place?”
Thus He declared all food clean.
“But,”
He said,
“what comes out of a person,
that defiles a person.
For from within, out of the heart of men,
come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, pride, frivolity.
“All these evil things come from within
and defile man.”

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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCIS

On Care for Our Common Home

25. Climate change is a global problem with serious implications for the environment, society, the economy, distribution and politics, and is one of the most important challenges facing humanity today.
The most serious effects are likely to be felt in the coming decades by developing countries. Many poor people live in places affected by phenomena related to global warming, and their lives are increasingly threatened by drought, floods, storms and other natural disasters. The most serious effects are likely to be felt in the coming decades by developing countries.
Many poor people live in places affected by phenomena related to global warming,
and their livelihoods are heavily dependent on natural resources
and traditional agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have
no other economic resources or other sources that would enable them to
adapt to climatic effects or cope with disasters, and they have little access to social
services and insurance.
Climate change causes, for example,
migrations of animals and plants that cannot always adapt, and this in turn affects
the means of production of the poorest, who
are forced to leave in great uncertainty about the
future of their lives and those of their children. Tragically, there is an increase in the number of migrants fleeing the misery caused by the destruction of the environment, who are not recognised as refugees in international conventions and bear the burden of a life they have left behind without any legal protection.
Unfortunately, there is a general indifference towards these tragedies, which continue to occur in various parts of the world. The lack of response to these tragedies is due to the fact that they are not recognised as such by the international community, of the loss of that sense of responsibility for our
fellow human beings on which every civilised society is based.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am