To gather into one the dispersed children of God

Book of Ezekiel 37:21-28. 

Thus says the Lord GOD: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. 

I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. 

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. 

My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees. 

They shall live on the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever, they, and their children, and their children's children, with my servant David their prince forever. 

I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever. 

My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever. 

Book of Jeremiah 31:10.11-12ab.13. 

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, 

Proclaim it on distant isles, and say: 

He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, 

He guards them as a shepherd his flock. 

The LORD shall ransom Jacob, 

he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, 

they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings: 

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, 

and young men and old as well. 

I will turn their mourning into joy, 

I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 11:45-56. 

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. 

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 

So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 

If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation."

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing,

nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." 

He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 

So from that day on they planned to kill him. 

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves.

They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?" 

"To gather into one the dispersed children of God"

It is written that: “We, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another” (Rom 12,5), for Christ gathers us into a unity by bonds of love: “He made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity... abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims that he might create in himself one new person in place of two” (Eph 2,14-15). Therefore we ought to have the same feelings towards each other: “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honoured, all the parts share its joy” (1Cor 12,26). Hence, as Saint Paul again says: “Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom 15,7). Let us welcome each other if we would share these same feelings. “Let us bear one another's burdens; striving to preserve unity of Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4,2-3). This is how God has welcomed us in Christ. For that man spoke truly when he said: “God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son” (Jn 3,16). For indeed the Son was given as a ransom for the lives of all of us and we have been liberated from death, set free from death and sin.

      

Saint Paul illuminates the outline of this plan of salvation when he says that: “Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness” (Rom 15,8). For God had promised the patriarchs, fathers to the Jews, that he would bless their descendants, who would also become as numerous as the stars of heaven. And this is the reason why the Word, who is God, was manifested in the flesh and became man. He upholds all creation in being and maintains the well-being of all that exists because he is God. But he came into this world when he became incarnate “not to be served” but, as he himself said: “to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10,45).

Justice and mercy

Psalms 23(22):1-3a.3b-4.5.6. 

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

In verdant pastures he gives me repose; 

beside restful waters he leads me; 

he refreshes my soul. 

He guides me in right paths

Even though I walk in the dark valley 

I fear no evil; for you are at my side 

with your rod and your staff 

that give me courage. 

You spread the table before me 

in the sight of my foes; 

You anoint my head with oil; 

my cup overflows. 

Only goodness and kindness follow me 

all the days of my life; 

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD 

for years to come. 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8:1-11. 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 

They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 

Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"

They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 

And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 

She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." 

Justice and mercy

The Pharisees said amongst themselves regarding Jesus : “He has a reputation for being true and has an air of gentleness; we’ll have to attack him on a matter of justice. Let us take a woman to him who has been caught openly in the crime of adultery and say to him what the Law demands on the subject”… What does the Lord Jesus reply? What does Truth answer? (Jn 14:6). What does Wisdom have to say?” (1Cor 1:24). How does Justice itself respond when thus put to the test? Jesus does not say: “Let her not be stoned”, since he does not wish to seem to speak against the Law. However, he takes good care not to say: “Let her be stoned”, since he has come not to lose what he has found but to “seek out what is lost” (Lk 19:10). So what does he reply? Note how justice, gentleness and truth are fulfilled at the same time: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” he says. 

Wisdom’s answer! How he makes them return to themselves! Their manoeuvers were external but they did not look into the depths of their own hearts. They saw the adulteress but did not observe themselves… O Pharisees, doctors of the Law, you have heard the Law’s guardians but have not understood the One who gives the Law. Indeed, the Law has been written by the finger of God but, because of the hardness of people’s hearts, it has been written in stone (Ex 31:18; 34:1). Now the Lord writes in the dust because he is looking for the Law’s fruit… “Let each one examine himself, return to himself, place himself before the judgement seat of his soul… Anyone who looks at himself attentively inevitably finds himself a sinner. So let this woman go or submit yourself to the punishment of the Law along with her”… 

This is the voice of justice: “Let the guilty be punished but not by the guilty. Let the Law be executed but not by those who break the Law”… Struck by the justice as by the point of a lance they return to themselves and find themselves to be sinners, “they went away, one by one.”

The efficacy of prayer

Book of Esther C:12.14-16.23-25. 

Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids, from morning until evening, and said:
''God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God. And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish.
Save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.”

Psalms 138(137):1-2ab.2cde-3.7c-8. 

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
I will give thanks to your name,

because of your kindness and your truth.
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:7-12. 

Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asks for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets."

The efficacy of prayer

      If we wish to prefer a petition to men of high station, we do not presume to do it without humility and respect; how much more ought we to supplicate the Lord God of all things with all humility and pure devotion. And let us be sure that we shall not be heard for our much speaking, but for purity of heart and tears of compunction. Our prayer, therefore, ought to be short and pure, unless it chance to be prolonged by the impulse and inspiration of divine grace.

If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed

Book of Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95. 
King Nebuchadnezzar said: "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? 
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe, and all the other musical instruments; otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God that can deliver you out of my hands?" 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 
If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! 
But even if he will not, know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up." 
Nebuchadnezzar's face became livid with utter rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual 
and had some of the strongest men in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the white-hot furnace. 
King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" "Assuredly, O king," they answered. 
"But," he replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God." 
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 



Book of Daniel 3:52.53.54.55.56. 
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, 
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; 
and blessed is your holy and glorious name,   
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. 

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, 
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. 
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, 
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you who look into the depths 
from your throne upon the cherubim; 
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, 
praiseworthy and glorious forever.





Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8:31-42. 
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 
They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, 'You will become free'?"
Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 
A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains.
So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free. 
I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. 
I tell you what I have seen in the Father's presence; then do what you have heard from the Father."
They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. 
You are doing the works of your father!" (So) they said to him, "We are not illegitimate. We have one Father, God." 
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 

"If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed"

      My brothers, we have been born anew by baptism… “If with this life only in view we have had hope in Christ, we are of all people the most to be pitied” (1Cor 15:19). Earthly life, as you yourselves see, for beasts, domestic animals, and the birds of the air is of the same span or longer than ours. What is special to humans is what Christ has given them through his Spirit—that is, life everlasting, but on condition, however, that we sin no more… “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life everlasting in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

      My little ones, above all hold fast to this: formerly the nations were delivered up to the powers of darkness; now we have been set free thanks to the victory of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is he who has redeemed us… He released the captives and broke our bonds, as David had said: “The Lord sets captives free; the Lord gives sight to the blind” (Ps 145[146]:7). And in another place he says: “You have loosened my bonds. I will offer to you the thank-offering of praise” (Ps 115[116]:16). Yes, freed from our chains, when we rally round the standard of the Lord through the sacrament of baptism, we are delivered by the blood and the name of Christ…

      Therefore, my dearly beloved brethren, we are washed but once; we are only liberated once; we are only received once into the immortal kingdom. It is only once that “Happy are those whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered” (Ps 31[32]]:1) Hold firm, then, to the gift received, safeguard your joy, and do not commit further sin. Preserve yourselves pure and innocent for the day of the Lord.

Neither do I condemn you... I am the light of the world

Book of Isaiah 43:16-21. 
Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 
Who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, Till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick. 
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; 
See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. 
Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, For I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, 
The people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise. 



Psalms 126(125):1-2ab.2cd-3.4-5.6. 
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, 
we were like men dreaming. 
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, 
and our tongue with rejoicing. 

Then they said among the nations, 
"the LORD has done great things for them." 
The LORD has done great things for us; 
we are glad indeed. 

Restore our fortunes, O LORD, 
like the torrents in the southern desert. 
Those that sow in tears 
shall reap rejoicing. 

Although they go forth weeping, 
carrying the seed to be sown, 
they shall come back rejoicing, 
carrying their sheaves. 




Letter to the Philippians 3:8-14. 
Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ 
and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith 
to know him and the power of his resurrection and (the) sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, 
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 
It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ (Jesus). 
Brothers, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, 
I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. 



Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 8:1-11. 
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. 
They said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?"
They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 
And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. 
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 
She replied, "No one, sir." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." 

“Neither do I condemn you... I am the light of the world” (Jn 8,11-12)

O my God, my Creator, who love to forgive,
Make the brightness of your inaccessible light grow greater over me
To fill my heart with joy.
Be not angry; do not forsake me!
But make my soul radiant with your light,
For your light, O my God, is you…

I have gone aside from your straight road, the divine road,
And have fallen lamentably from the glory that had been given me.
I have been stripped of the shining robe, the divine robe,
And fallen into the darkness; now I lie in darkness
And do not realize I am deprived of light…
For if you have shone from on high, if you have appeared in the shadows,
If you have come into the world, O Merciful One,
If you have desired to live with men
In our human condition, for love of humankind,
If… you are said to be the light of the world (Jn 8:12)
And we do not even see you,
Is this not because we are completely blind
And more unfortunate than the blind, O my Christ?...

As for you, who are all good things, you give them unceasingly
to your servants, to those who see your light…
Whoever possesses you, truly possesses in you all other things.
May I not be deprived of you, O Lord! May I not be deprived of you, Creator!
May I not be deprived of you, O Merciful One, I, the humble stranger…
I beg you, set me with you,
Even if I have multiplied sins more than everyone else.
Receive my prayer like that of the publican (Lk 18:13)
Or like that of the sinful woman, Lord, even though I weep not as she did (Lk 7:38)…
Are you not the source of pity, the spring of mercy and river of goodness?
Therefore, on this account have pity on me!
Ah yes, you who had hands and feet nailed to the cross
And your side pierced with the lance, you the All-Compassionate,
Have pity on me and snatch me away from the eternal burning…
That on that day I may stand before you without condemnation
To be welcomed into your wedding chamber
In which I shall share your happiness, good Master,
In inexpressible joy throughout the ages. Amen.