A symbol of her inner life, her joy and sorrow,
her virtues and hidden perfections, and her love.
Consideration
The Gospel does indeed speak of Mary’s heart. She treasured God’s word in her heart. This means, in essence, that she lived by God’s word. She let it speak to her, pondered it and prayed with it. Mary cherished the mystery of her covenant with God. It was the secret of her life, the source from which she could speak and act. Elsewhere in the Gospel it is said that Mary’s heart will be pierced by a sword. She will not be spared sorrow and suffering. She will bear it with faith and keep that too in her heart.
FIRST READING Isa. 61, 9-11
I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord.
From the Prophet Isaiah
Your descendants shall be known among the nations,
your offspring among all peoples.
And all who see them shall know
that they are the people the Lord has blessed.
I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord,
my soul shall exult in my God,
for He has clothed me with the garment of salvation
and wrapped me in the robe of righteousness,
like a bridegroom who joyfully adorns his head,
or like a bride who adorns herself with her jewellery.
For as the earth brings forth its fruit,
and as a garden causes the seed to ripen,
so the Lord brings forth righteousness,
and his glory before the eyes of the nations.
INTERLUDIUM 1 Sam. 2:1, 4–5, 6–7, 8abcd
The Lord makes my heart rejoice.
The Lord makes my heart rejoice,
my God has lifted up my head.
Now I can speak to my adversaries
because I enjoy his help.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
the weak are girded with strength.
The rich must go and earn their bread,
those who suffered hunger need no longer labour.
The barren woman bears seven children,
the mother’s womb withers.
The Lord has power over life and death,
He leads to death and He calls back again.
The Lord bestows poverty as well as wealth,
He brings humiliation and honour.
He raises the powerless from the dust,
lifts the lowly from the dust;
He gives him a seat among princes,
grants him a place of honour.
For He is the Lord of the pillars of the earth
upon which He once set the world.
GOSPEL Luke 2, 41–52
Just think how anxiously
your father and I have been searching for you.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke
Every year, Jesus’ parents would travel to Jerusalem
for the Feast of the Passover.
And in accordance with the custom of this feast,
they went there again when He had reached the age of twelve.
But after those days were over, they returned home.
The child Jesus, however, remained behind in Jerusalem,
without his parents knowing it.
Thinking that He was with the caravan,
they travelled a day’s journey,
and then sought Him amongst relatives and acquaintances.
As they did not find Him,
they returned to Jerusalem, continuing their search.
Only after three days did they find Him in the temple,
where He was sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions.
All who heard Him
were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When His parents noticed Him there, they were dismayed.
His mother said to Him:
“Child, why have You done this to us?
“Just think how worried
your father and I have been looking for you.”
But He replied:
“Why were you looking for Me?
“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
However, they did not understand what He meant by this.
He went down with them to Nazareth
and was obedient to them.
His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And as the years passed, Jesus grew in wisdom and favour
with God and with people.
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
145. Many forms of intense exploitation and damage to the environment
can not only deplete local means of subsistence, but also the
social resources that have made possible a way of life which
has long sustained a cultural identity and a sense of purpose and community life.
The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more so, than the disappearance of an animal or plant species.
The imposition of a hegemonic lifestyle linked to a particular mode of production can be just as harmful as the degradation of ecosystems.
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 Dutch translation
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