Invitation
May I hereby draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation wants to share with You the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, no one excepted,
can experience that joy by opening their hearts
to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day
Consideration
After the stoning of Stephen, the persecution of the Church erupts in all its violence. In this, we can notice three things: As a fine historian, Luke notes that persecution and dispersion is a core issue for mission. But as a believing theologian, he looks even deeper. Stephen’s sacrifice is not fruitless. He places the story of his burial between two remarks about persecution. Finally, he places Paul’s name next to Stephen’s : The martyr next to the persecutor of the church. It is as if he already foreshadows the conversion and vocation of the missionary to the Gentiles : The church persecutor who will one day become a martyr.
FIRST READING Acts 8:1-8
They went around proclaiming the word of the Good News.
From the Acts of the Apostles
After the death of Stephen
a fierce persecution broke out
against the church of Jerusalem.
All scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except for the apostles.
Pious men buried Stephen
and held a great lamentation over him.
Saul, however, raged against the church,
breaking into one house after another, dragging away men and women
and handed them over to be imprisoned.
Now those who had dispersed went about
and proclaimed the word of the Good News.
So Philip came into the city of Samaria
and preached the Messiah there.
Philip’s words met with general approval
when the people heard what he said
and when they saw the signs he performed.
Out of many possessed people
the unclean spirits went away with loud cries
and many lambs and cripples were healed.
Great joy arose over this in that city.
INTERLUDIUM Ps 66(65), 1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a
Rejoice before God, all the nations of the earth,
sing to the glory of His Name.
Jubilate before God, all the nations of the earth,
sing to the glory of His Name.
Bring Him your homage and say to your God :
Astonishing are all your deeds.
All the earth should worship Thee,
chant Your holy Name.
Come and behold what God has done,
staggering deeds among men.
He made the sea a dry valley,
they passed through the bed on foot.
Let us rejoice for joy for Him
who reigns forever by His power.
ALLELUIA John 10, 14
Alleluia.
I am the good Shepherd, says the Lord.
I know mine and mine know Me.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL Jn 6:35-40
This is my Father’s will, that everyone who sees the Son has eternal life.
Ut the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
John
At that time, Jesus said to the crowd :
“I am the bread of life :
Whoever comes to Me shall hunger no more,
and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst again.
“But I said to you already that ye nevertheless believe not ,
though ye have seen Me.
“All that the Father gives Me shall come unto Me ,
and whoever comes to Me I will not cast out.
“For I came down from heaven ,
not to do My own will
but the will of Him who sent Me ;
and this is the will of Him who sent Me ,
that I let nothing of what He has given Me perish
but raise it up at the last day.
“This is the will of My Father ,
that every one who, when he sees the Son and believes in Him,
possesses eternal life ;
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
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Fratelli tutti
Encyclical of
Pope Francis
On brotherhood and social friendship
270. Christians who doubt and are tempted to give in to
any form of violence, I invite them to remember the proclamation of the book of
Isaiah: “Then they will turn their swords into ploughshares”
(2, 4). For us, this prophecy takes shape in Jesus Christ, who
facing a disciple who was swept away by violence, resolutely
said, “Put your sword back in its place. For all those who reach for the sword
seize, shall perish by the sword” (Mat 26:52). That was an echo
of the ancient warning: “I will hold man accountable for the
life of man, to every one of his brother. Whoever sheds the blood of a man
shed, his blood shall be shed by men” (Gen 9:5-6). This
response of Jesus, which came spontaneously from his heart, overcomes the distance
of the centuries and comes to today’s time as a constant
reminder.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am
The Bible text in this edition is taken from The New Bible Translation,
©Dutch Bible Society 2004/2007.
Considerations from Liturgical suggestions for weekdays and Sundays
Fratelli tutti Official English translation
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