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.
Opening words
God has placed freedom in every human heart.
That is a tremendous gift!
Yet we often struggle with this freedom
and our choices are not always directed towards what is good.
Jesus invites us to look into our hearts
and examine what our deepest desires are.
He helps us to distinguish
between what brings life and what destroys,
what is good and what causes harm.
Let us open our hearts to his Word,
which gives direction to our lives.
FIRST READING Sir . 15, 15-20
He has commanded no one to sin.
From the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus Sirach
If you wish, you can keep the commandments,
and it is also wise to do what pleases the Lord.
He has set fire and water before you:
you can reach out your hand to whichever you prefer.
Life and death lie before men,
and whatever a man desires is given to him.
For the Lord’s wisdom is great,
his power is mighty, and he sees everything.
His eyes are on those who fear him,
and every deed of man is known to him.
He has commanded no one to sin
and has given no one permission to do evil.
Responsorial Ps . 119(118), 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
Refrain
Blessed are those who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those whose way of life is pure,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who observe His decrees,
who seek Him with all their heart.
You have given Your commands
that they may be faithfully observed.
May my ways be upright,
directed towards what You have decreed.
Grant your servant life,
and I will keep your word.
Open my eyes to behold
the splendour of your law.
Show me the way, Lord, that you have decreed,
and I will never stray from it.
Give me understanding to live by your law,
to follow it with all my heart.
SECOND READING 1Cor. 2, 6-10
God has designed and destined wisdom from all eternity for our glorification.
From the first letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Christians of Corinth
Brothers and sisters,
We speak among the perfect about wisdom,
but that is not the wisdom of this world
or of the powers that rule this world,
whose end is at hand.
We proclaim divine wisdom,
which was hidden,
the secret plan,
designed by God from all eternity
and destined for our glorification.
None of the rulers of this world knew about it.
If they had known about it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
These are the things of which Scripture says:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
no human mind has conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him.”
But God has revealed it to us through the Spirit,
for the Spirit of God searches everything,
even the depths of God.
Versicle before the Gospel Cf . Mt. 11, 25
Alleluia.
Blessed are You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the secrets of the kingdom to children.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt . 5, 17-37
You have heard what was said to our ancestors, but I say to you.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
“I have not come to abolish them,
but to bring fulfilment.
“For truly, I say to you:
Before heaven and earth pass away,
than one jot or tittle of the Law pass away,
before all is accomplished.
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of these commandments,
even the least of them,
and teaches others to do so,
will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven,
but whoever practises and teaches them
will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“I tell you: Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors: ‘You shall not kill.
“Whoever kills will be liable to judgement.
“But I say to you:
“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement.
“But I say to you:
Whoever is angry with his brother
shall be liable to judgment.
“And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raka,’
shall be liable to the Sanhedrin;
and whoever says, ‘Fool,’
shall be liable to the fire of hell.
“If you bring your gift to the altar
and there you remember
that your brother has something against you,
leave your gift before the altar,
go and be reconciled with your brother first,
and then come back and offer your gift.”
while you are still on the way with him;
otherwise your adversary
might hand you over to the magistrate,
and the magistrate to the bailiff,
and you would be thrown into prison.
“Truly, I say to you,
you will not get out of there
until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said:
You shall not commit adultery.
“But I say to you:
Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“If your right eye causes you to sin,
pluck it out and throw it away;
for it is better for you to lose one of your members
than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
“And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away;
for it is better for you to lose one of your members
than for your whole body to go into hell.
“It has also been said:
Whoever divorces his wife,
must give her a letter of divorce.
“But I say to you:
Whoever divorces his wife,
except in the case of fornication,
causes her to become an adulteress;
and whoever marries a divorced woman,
commits adultery.
“You have also heard that it was said to our ancestors:
You shall not swear falsely,
but you shall keep your oaths to the Lord.
“But I say to you, do not swear at all;
neither by heaven,
for it is God’s throne;
nor by earth,
for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem,
for that is the city of the great King.
“Nor shall you swear by your head,
for you cannot make one hair white or black.
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’;
anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
29. A particularly serious problem is that of the quality of water
available to the poor, which causes many deaths every day.
including those caused by microorganisms and chemicals.
Dysentery and cholera, which are due to inadequate sanitation
and water supplies, are a major factor in suffering and child mortality.
The water-bearing strata are threatened in many places by pollution
caused by certain activities in the fields of mining, agriculture and
industry, especially in the tropics.The water-bearing strata are
threatened in many places by pollution caused by certain activities
in the fields of mining, agriculture and industry, especially in
the tropics. In many places, water-bearing strata are threatened
by pollution caused by certain activities in the field of raw material
extraction, agriculture and industry, especially in countries where
regulation and adequate control are lacking.
We are not only thinking of waste from factories. Detergents and
chemical products used by the population in many parts of the world
continue to be discharged into rivers, lakes and seas.
To be continued
Every day at1am
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
© Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Reflections from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si Official English translation
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