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
“Come then,” says the Lord, “let us reason together.” Now is the favourable time to turn away from evil. We may accept the Lord’s invitation, not like the Pharisees who know how it all works and place themselves above the law. But by questioning ourselves as fathers, as teachers, as masters.
FIRST READING Isa. 1, 10, 16-20
Learn to do good and uphold justice.
From the Prophet Isaiah
Listen! The word of the Lord!
“Go and wash yourselves, go and cleanse yourselves;
remove your evil deeds from my sight!
“Cease to do evil, learn to do good,
maintain justice, help the oppressed,
defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
“Come then,” says the Lord, “let us talk it over:
Though your sins are as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall be as white as wool.
“If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
the sword shall devour you.”
INTERLUDIUM Ps . 50(49), 8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23
Those who walk in upright ways will find God’s salvation.
I will not reproach you for your sacrifices,
I see your burnt offerings all the time.
I no longer want bulls from your houses
and I do not ask for rams from your sheepfolds.
Why do you keep talking about my commandments,
and have my covenant always on your tongue?
You who dislike discipline
and never heed my words.
Should I remain silent when you do such things?
Or do you think that I am like you?
I accuse you, I lay everything before you.
Those who offer sacrifices of praise truly honour Me,
those who walk in the right ways find the salvation of God.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Ezekiel 18, 31
Cast away from you all the transgressions you have committed,
says the Lord,
and renew your heart and your spirit.
GOSPEL Matthew 23, 1-12
They themselves do not act according to their words.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus spoke to the people and to his disciples:
“The scribes and Pharisees have taken their place on the chair of Moses.
“Therefore, do and observe everything they tell you,
but do not act according to their works;
for they themselves do not act according to their words.
“They make bundles of heavy,
almost unbearable burdens
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
“Everything they do,
they do to be seen by others;
for they make their phylacteries broad
and their tassels large,
they love the place of honour at banquets
and the chief seats in the synagogues,
they love to be greeted in the marketplaces
and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’.
“You have only one Master
and you are all brothers.
“And call no one on earth your ‘father’;
you have only one Father, the one in heaven.
“And do not let yourselves be called ’teacher’;
you have only one teacher, the Christ.
“Whoever is the greatest among you
must be your servant.
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
45. In some places in the city and in the countryside, the privatisation
of land has made it difficult for citizens to access areas of
particular beauty; elsewhere, “ecological”
residential areas have been created that are only available to a few
and where care is taken to prevent others from entering
and disturbing the artificial tranquillity. Often one finds a beautiful city, full of
well-maintained green spaces in a few “safe” areas, but this is not the case
in less visible areas, where the outcasts of society live.
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
___________________________________________________________________