Invitation
May I take this opportunity to 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
We resume the history of the divided kingdoms and read a few days from the Elijah cycle (Northern Kingdom).
In the New Testament too, Moses and Elijah are the two great figures of the Old Testament (cf. the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor). Elijah is the new Moses. How numerous are the parallels in the Old Testament!
– Moses and Elijah flee to Horeb and have a vision.
– Moses opposes the golden calf and Elijah opposes the priests of Baal.
– Moses transfers his authority to Joshua, Elijah to Elisha.
– Moses and Elijah die in mysterious circumstances and have no grave.
The readings for the coming days will illustrate this.
FIRST READING 1 Kings 17, 7-16
The jar of flour did not run out,
in accordance with the word the Lord had spoken through Elijah.
From the First Book of Kings
In those days,
the brook where Elijah was staying dried up,
for there had been no rain on the earth.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah:
“Go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there;
I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
So he went to Zarephath.
When he reached the city gate,
there was a widow gathering sticks.
He called out to her:
“Please, fetch me a little water in your jug;
I would like a drink.”
As she went to fetch it, he called after her:
“Please, bring a piece of bread with you as well.”
The woman replied:
“As surely as the Lord your God lives, I have no bread left;
only a handful of flour in the jar
and a little oil in the jug.
“I am now gathering some wood and will go home at once;
to prepare a final meal for myself and my son;
after that, death awaits us.”
Elijah replied:
“Do not be afraid; go home
and do as you have planned,
but first make a small loaf of bread for me from the flour and oil
and bring it to me;
you may then take care of yourself and your son.
“For—thus says the Lord, the God of Israel—
the jar of flour shall not run out,
nor the jug of oil be exhausted,
until the Lord sends rain again.”
Then she went and did as Elijah had said,
he, she and her household.
The jar of flour did not run out,
nor did the jug of oil run dry,
according to the word the Lord had spoken through Elijah.
RESPONSORIAL Ps. 4, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8
You, Lord, have filled my heart with joy.
When I call upon You, answer me,
God, who grants me justice.
You who deliver me from distress,
have mercy on me, hear my prayer!
Friends, how long will your hearts remain closed,
do you cling to vanity and seek deceit?
See how the Lord favours His faithful:
He always answers me when I call upon Him.
Fear Him and guard against sin;
what you ponder during sleepless nights,
do not speak it out.
You have filled my heart with joy,
more than a rich harvest can give me.
When I lie down, I sleep in peace,
You free me from worry.
ALLELUIA Ps . 119(1187), 88
Alleluia.
Be merciful to me and let me live, Lord,
then I shall remain faithful to what You have ordained.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt. 5, 13-16
You are the light of the world.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
“But if salt loses its saltiness,
with what shall it be salted?
“It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
“You are the light of the world.
“A town cannot be hidden
if it is set on top of a hill!
“Nor do people light a lamp
to put it under a bushel,
but they place it on a stand,
so that it gives light to all who are in the house.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good deeds
and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
141. On the other hand, economic growth tends to generate automatisms
and to ‘homogenise’ in order to simplify processes and reduce costs.
That is why we need an economic ecology capable of leading us to view
reality from a broader perspective. After all, “the protection of the environment
must be an integral part of the development process and must not be considered in isolation”.
But at the same time, the urgent need for humanism is becoming a pressing issue, calling upon
the various sectors of knowledge, including the economic sector, for a
more comprehensive and integrative vision. Today, the analysis of environmental problems
cannot be separated from an analysis of the context of the individual, the family,
work and the city, and of each person’s relationship with themselves, which
also determines how they relate to others and the environment. There is an
interaction between ecosystems and the various social
sub-sectors, and so it is evident once again that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.
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