St Charbel was a Maronite monk from Lebanon. He was born on
8 May 1828 and died on 24 December 1898. He was canonised in 1977.
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
Jeremiah announces the return from exile. Being reunited is one of humanity’s greatest longings: to be together, to find one another again after having been separated. In this sense, Babylon symbolises dispersion, of people who are unable to live together.Jerusalem becomes the symbol of the universal reunification of the nations. God’s presence will be the heart of this new city. That is why Jeremiah cannot mourn the destruction of the Ark of the Covenant: God himself will take up residence in the new Jerusalem!
FIRST READING Jer. 3:14–17
I will give you rulers after my own heart, and all the tribes shall gather in Jerusalem.
From the Prophet Jeremiah
Thus says the Lord:
“Return, O wayward sons,
I am your Master; I will gather you from all the cities
and from all the tribes, and bring you to Zion.
“I will give you rulers after my own heart,
who will govern you with wisdom and understanding.
“When you become numerous in those days
and multiply greatly in the land,
—thus says the Lord—
then it shall no longer be said:
‘Where is the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant?’
“It shall be forgotten,
it will not even be remembered,
no one will miss it,
and another will never be made.
“In that day Jerusalem shall be called ‘The Throne of the Lord’!
“All the tribes shall gather together
in the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem.
“They will no longer persist in their wickedness.”
Interludium Jer. 31:10, 11–12ab, 13
The Lord will protect us
as a shepherd guards his flock.
Nations, hear then the word of the Lord,
proclaim it to distant shores.
He who once scattered Israel
shall gather it, shall protect it
as a shepherd tends his flock.
Jacob shall be redeemed by the Lord,
delivered from the grasp of the one who plundered him.
With shouts of joy they shall enter Zion once more,
and take their places where the Lord blesses them.
Young girls will dance a dance of joy,
together with young men and the elderly.
Then I will bring joy instead of mourning,
comfort and gladness after all their sorrow.
ALLELUIA Ps. 25(24), 4c, 5a
Alleluia.
Teach me your ways, O Lord;
guide me according to your word.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Mt. 13:18–23
Whoever hears the word and understands it also bears fruit.
From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Matthew
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You, then,
listen to the parable of the sower:
‘Whenever anyone hears the word of the Kingdom
but does not understand it,
the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart;
that is the one sown along the path.
“The one sown on rocky ground is the one
who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy:
but he has no root,
he lives for the moment,
and if he is
oppressed or persecuted for the word’s sake,
he falls away at once.
“The one sown amongst thistles is the one who hears the word,
but it is choked by the cares of the world
and the allure of wealth,
and so it bears no fruit.
“But the one sown on good soil is the one
who hears and understands the word, and therefore bears fruit:
in one case the yield is a hundredfold,
in another sixtyfold, and in another thirtyfold.”
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Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
186. The 1992 Rio Declaration states that ‘where there is a threat of serious or irreversible damage,
the absence of full scientific certainty must not be used as a reason to delay the
implementation of effective measures to prevent environmental damage.
These precautionary measures make it possible to protect the most vulnerable,
who have few resources with which to defend themselves.
If objective information leads to the prediction of serious and irreversible damage, even if there is no indisputable evidence, then any project should be halted or modified. In this way, the burden of proof is reversed, as in such cases it is necessary to provide objective and conclusive evidence that the proposed activity will not cause serious damage to the environment and to all those within it.
is reversed, as in such cases it is necessary to provide objective and
conclusive evidence that the proposed activity will not cause serious
harm to the environment and all those living within it. .
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible passage in this edition is taken fromThe New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Reflections from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays and Sundays
Laudato Si’ Official English translation
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