Invitation
May I draw your attention to:
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation aims to share with you the joy of the Gospel.
Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
From the very beginning, the figure of Paul appears throughout the book of Acts. The story of his conversion is the story of a person like us, who encounters Jesus and thereby makes a radical choice for Him. A person for whom Christ is no longer a dead figure from a bygone era, but for whom Christ becomes the Living One today. The dialogue that Jesus enters into with Paul today will henceforth be renewed every day. It is no different in our lives. Do we not ask every day: ‘Lord, who are You?’ May the risen Lord make us instruments of God’s salvation?
FIRST READING Acts 9, 1–20
This man is my chosen instrument to carry my Name to the Gentiles.
From the Acts of the Apostles
In those days Saul,
who, in a rage,
was threatening the Lord’s disciples with death,
went to the high priest,
from whom he sought letters for the synagogues in Damascus,
so that he might bring to Jerusalem
any followers of the new teaching he might find there,
both men and women,
in chains.
As he was travelling and approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground;
and heard a voice saying to him:
“Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting Me?”
He said:
“Who are You, Lord?”
He replied:
“I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting.
“But get up and go into the city;
there someone will tell you what you must do.”
His travelling companions stood speechless,
for they heard the voice
but saw no one.
Saul rose from the ground,
but though his eyes were open, he saw nothing.
So they took him by the hand
and led him into Damascus.
For three days he could not see,
and he neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple in Damascus called Ananias,
and the Lord spoke to him in a vision:
“Ananias.”
He replied:
“Here I am, Lord.”
The Lord continued:
“Go to the Straight Street
and ask at the house of Judas for Saul of Tarsus;
he is just now in prayer.”
He had already seen in a vision
a man, Ananias, coming in
and laying his hands on him so that he might see again.
But Ananias objected:
“Lord, I have heard from many
how much harm that man
has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
“Here too he has authority from the high priest
to put in chains all who call upon your Name.”
The Lord commanded him:
“Go,
for this man is my chosen instrument
to carry my Name before the Gentiles and kings
and before the sons of Israel.
“I will show him
how much he must suffer for my Name.”
Then Ananias went to the house,
entered,
and laid his hands on Saul, saying:
“Saul, brother,
the Lord has sent me,
Jesus, who appeared to you on the road here,
so that you may see again
and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
At that very moment,
it was as though scales fell from his eyes.
He could see again,
and immediately he was baptised.
He took some food
and regained his strength.
For some time he stayed with the disciples in Damascus.
Immediately he began to preach about Jesus in the synagogue, saying:
“This is the Son of God.”
RESPONSORIAL Ps. 117(116), 1, 2
Go out into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel (Mk 16:15)
or:Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, all nations of the earth,
give glory to the Lord, all peoples round;
for He has shown us His goodness;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures for ever.
ALLELUIA John 10, 27
Alleluia.
My sheep listen to my voice, says the Lord,
and I know them, and they follow me.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 6, 52-59
My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
In those days the Jews began to quarrel amongst themselves, saying:
“How can He give us His flesh to eat?”
Jesus then said to them:
“Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you have no life within you.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
“For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him.
“Just as I have been sent by the living Father
and live because of the Father,
so also he who eats me
will live because of me.
“This is the bread that came down from heaven.
“It is not like that of the fathers
who ate and yet died:
whoever eats this bread will live for ever.”
Jesus said this
whilst teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On Care for Our Common Home
95. The environment is a common good, a heritage of all humanity
it is only to manage it for the benefit of all. If we fail to do so,
we burden our consciences by denying the existence of others.
That is why the bishops of New Zealand have asked themselves
what the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” means, when
“twenty per cent of the world’s population consumes resources to such an extent
that they deprive poor nations and future generations of what they need to survive”
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