From Jesus we learn what we should ask for in our prayers. If God has truly revealed his heavenly love in his Son, there remains only one question: that the earth may increasingly recognise that love. That God may be Father to all people. When can we trust that our prayers will be answered? When we pray like Jesus! Instead of pursuing his own will, Jesus placed his trust in his Father’s deep desire: to live in union with Him. For this is God’s plan: to make people happy in union with Him. That is the key to Jesus’ prayer, and that key opens the door to answered prayer.

FIRST READING                      Est. 14, 1, 3-5, 12-14
Lord, I have no helper but You.

From the Book of Esther

At that time, Queen Esther, in mortal fear,
took refuge in the Lord.
She prayed thus to the God of Israel:
“My Lord, our King, You are the only one!
“Come to my aid, I who stand alone
and have no helper but You,
for I am facing great danger.
“From my birth, I have heard in the tribe from which I came
that You, Lord, have accepted Israel from all nations
and all their ancestors, our fathers,
as an everlasting inheritance, and that You have done for them
all that You promised.
“Remember us, Lord,
reveal yourself in the hour of our need, and give me courage,
you, King of the gods and ruler of all dominion.
“Put a happy word in my mouth,
when I stand before the lion;
change his disposition and make him hate
the man who fights against us,
so that he and his supporters may perish.
Save us by your hand and come to my aid,
for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.”

INTERLUDIUM                      Ps. 138(137), 1-2a, 2bc-3, 7c-8

When I called to you, you always answered me,
you always gave me new courage.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart,
because you listened to my prayers.
I sing to you and all the powers of heaven
and bow down before your sanctuary.

I praise You for Your goodness and Your faithfulness,
for You have fulfilled Your promise beyond measure.
When I called to You, You always answered me,
You always gave me new courage.

Your outstretched hand is always my salvation:
the Lord accomplishes for me all that I undertake.
Your goodness, Lord, endures without end;
do not forget the work of your hands!

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL                   Am. 5,14

Seek the good, not the evil,
so that you may live and God may remain with you.

GOSPEL            Mt. 7, 7-12
All who ask receive.

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

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Or is there anyone among you
who will give his son a stone when he asks for bread?
Or a snake when he asks for a fish?
If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven
give good things to those who ask Him.
“Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do also to them.
“This is the Law and the Prophets.”
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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

Pope Francis

On Care for Our Common Home

40. The oceans contain not only the majority of the planet’s water, but also the majority of the wide variety of living creatures, many of which are still unknown to us and are threatened for various reasons.
On the other hand, we see that life in rivers,
lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds a large part of the world’s population,
is threatened by uncontrolled fishing, which is causing a drastic reduction in some species.
The development of selective fishing methods continues, whereby a large proportion of the species caught are discarded. Sea organisms that we do not take into account are particularly threatened, such as certain types of plankton that form a very important link in the marine food chain and on which the species used for human consumption ultimately depend.
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