Monday – St Paulinus of Nola, b. – Saints John Fisher, b., and Thomas More, mrt.

 

Paul of Nola was a Roman poet, writer, senator and Bishop of Nola.
Born in 352 in Bordeaux
Died 22 June 431

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.

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Consideration
The fall of the Northern Kingdom (the fall of the capital, Samaria, in 722) is described in a very dispassionate and detached manner. The fall is followed by a mass deportation to Assyria. This makes the theological reflection that follows all the more emphatic: the downfall is the punishment for turning away from Yahweh. Everything that happened is summarised once more, and the conclusion was inevitable. It should be noted here that Assyrian sources confirm these historical events. Shalmaneser began the siege and captured Samaria (722). It was probably Sargon II who recaptured the city in 720 and carried out the deportation.

FIRST READING                     2 Kings 17:5–8, 13–15a, 18

The Lord could no longer bear to look upon Israel;
only the tribe of Judah remained.

From the Second Book of Kings

In those days,
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria,
undertook a campaign against the land;
he marched on Samaria
and laid siege to the city for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign,
the king of Assyria captured Samaria;
he deported the Israelites to Assyria,
and settled them in Halah,
by the river Habor in Gozan,
and in some towns of Media.

All this happened,
because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God,
who had brought them out of Egypt,
from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and because they had worshipped other gods.
The Israelites had begun to live according to the customs
of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them.
It was the kings of Israel who had done this.
The Lord had warned Israel and Judah,
through his prophets and seers, saying:
“Turn away from your evil ways,
and keep my commandments and my statutes,
in accordance with the law which I gave to your fathers,
and through which I sent my servants the prophets to you.”
But they would not listen,
and were just as stubborn as their fathers,
who had also not believed in the Lord their God.
They paid no heed to his decrees,
the covenant He had made with their fathers,
nor the decrees He had issued.
Therefore the Lord was greatly angered against Israel;
He could no longer bear to look upon them and swept them away.
Nothing remained, save the tribe of Judah.

INTERLUDIUM                   Ps . 60(59), 3, 4–5, 12–13

Stretch out your hand to us, O Lord; hear our prayer.

You have struck us down, God, broken through our defences.
You are angry: turn back to us.

The earth trembles, its rocks split:
heal its cracks before it breaks.
You have taught your people a harsh lesson,
a cup of wine that makes us reel.

Who else, O God, but You who have cast us off,
who no longer accompany our armies?
Be our ally against the enemy,
for human help is of no avail.

ALLELUIA                 Ps. 119(118), 135

Alleluia.
Let Your face shine upon Your servant, O Lord,
let me see Your decrees.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL                 Mt. 7, 1–5

First remove the plank from your own eye!

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

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.
“For with the judgement with which you judge,
you will be judged,
and the measure with which you measure,
it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye,
yet fail to notice the log in your own eye?
“Or how can you say to your brother:
‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when, look,
there is still a log in your own eye!
“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly enough
to remove the speck
from your brother’s eye.”
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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCIS

On Care for Our Common Home

 

On caring for our common home by Pope Francis

154. Recognising the special dignity of the human person is often
at odds with the chaotic lives that people in our cities
are forced to lead. However, this should not make us forget the state of abandonment and
neglect suffered by some residents of
rural areas, where essential services are lacking and workers find themselves in a state of slavery,
without rights or hope of a more decent life.

To be continued
Every day at 1 am