Memory of Jesus crucified
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Hebrews 13,1-8
Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the body. Marriage must be honoured by all, and marriages must be kept undefiled, because the sexually immoral and adulterers will come under God's judgement. Put avarice out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I shall not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord on my side, I fear nothing: what can human beings do to me? Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, take their faith as your model. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Mutual love identifies the community as Christian and renders it a convincing witness to the Gospel. "Hospitality" is an integral part of this fraternal love. Biblical tradition is crossed by this golden thread of hospitality. The author reminds us that "for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." The reference to Abraham who welcomed three travellers by the oak tree in Mamre (Gen 18) is evident. We may add, too, that the importance of hospitality marks the entire Christian story; at the Last Judgment, Jesus will say, as reported by Matthew, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Fraternal love does not remain closed in on its own community but necessarily reaches out to others: the imprisoned, the suffering and all those who wait for help. How full of tenderness is the invitation to "remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured." This is an invitation not only to solidarity but also to paying attention to another person as though he or she were part of our family. The Church is indeed God's family, a family that includes the poor. Marriage too is included in this horizon of love, which the author wishes to preserve from betrayals that stem from the satisfaction of instincts or coveting desires. Beyond a simple sexual union, marriage is aimed at creating a family that, in society and in the Church, allows a harmonious existence between people of all ages and in all conditions. Christians are invited to choose a sober way of life without succumbing to the frenetic race for personal wellbeing that ignores the lives of all. This is why the Letter to the Hebrews warns primarily against greed, that is, the accumulation of riches for oneself without regard to one's responsibility to the poor and weak. The appeal to be content with what one has is not an invitation to resignation but an exhortation to abandon oneself to God's mercy who is always faithful. It is the way of life lived by Jesus himself and transmitted to his disciples.