Maria, ster van de evangelisatie

Book of Revelation 7:2-4.9-14. 
Then I saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, 
"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the Israelites: 
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. 
They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." 
All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, 
and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen." 
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" 
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

Jill Bevilacqua brings us reflections for the Thirtyfirst Sunday of the Year in her programme "There's more in the Gospel than meets the eye". Readings by Seàn-Patrick Lovett.

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Gospel Mt 23: 1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. 
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example. 
For they preach but they do not practice. 
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders, 
but they will not lift a finger to move them. 
All their works are performed to be seen. 
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called 'Master';
you have but one master, the Christ. 
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Book of Malachi 1:14b.2:1-2b.8-10. 
Cursed is the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, but under his vow sacrifices to the LORD a gelding; For a great King am I, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. 
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, 
And if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. Yes, I have already cursed it, because you do not lay it to heart. 
But you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; You have made void the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. 
I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, Since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions. 
Have we not all the one Father? Has not the one God created us? Why then do we break faith with each other, violating the covenant of our fathers? 

Psalms 131(130):1.2.3. 
A song of ascents. Of David. LORD, my heart is not proud; nor are my eyes haughty. I do not busy myself with great matters, with things too sublime for me. 
Rather, I have stilled my soul, hushed it like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me. 
Israel, hope in the LORD, now and forever. 

Book of Isaiah 45:1.4-6. 
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, Subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, Opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred: 
For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. 
I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, 
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun men may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other; 

Jill Bevilacqua reflects on the Gospel for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time in her programme "There's more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye." 

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Gospel MT 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, 'but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

Book of Ezekiel 18:25-28. 
You say, "The LORD'S way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? 
When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. 
But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; 
since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

Psalms 25(24):4bc-5.6-7.8-9. 

Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. 
Make known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths. 
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. For you I wait all the long day, because of your goodness, LORD. 
Remember your compassion and love, O LORD; for they are ages old. 

Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember me only in light of your love. 
Good and upright is the LORD, who shows sinners the way, 
Guides the humble rightly, and teaches the humble the way. 

In her programme "There's more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye", Jill Bevilacqua reflects on the Gospel for the Twentyfifth Sunday of the year.

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Gospel MT 20:1-16A

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard. 
Going out about nine o'clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise. 
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage. 
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage. 
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you. 
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 
Take what is yours and go. 
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? 
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Book of Sirach 27:30.28:1-7. 
Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. 
The vengeful will suffer the LORD'S vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. 
Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. 
Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the LORD? 
Should a man refuse mercy to his fellows, yet seek pardon for his own sins? 
If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? 
Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! 
Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; of the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults. 

Book of Ezekiel 33:7-9. 
You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. 
If I tell the wicked man that he shall surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, he (the wicked man) shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 
But if you warn the wicked man, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself. 

In her programme "There's more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye," Jill Bevilacqua brings us readings and reflections to mark the 22nd Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time.

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Gospel Mt 16:21-27

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised. 
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” 
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. 
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me. 
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life? 
Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”