Gospel of the day ♪

Also during the Synod's morning prayer, the President of the Focolare Movement, Margaret Karram, invited prayers for peace.
"Lord, we pray to you for the Holy Land, for the people of Israel and Palestine who are under the grip of unprecedented violence, for the victims, especially the children, for the wounded, for those held hostage, for the missing and their families," she said.
"In these hours of anguish and suspension, we join our voices to that of the Pope and to the choral prayer of those around the world who implore peace."
Ms. Karram also recalled the other countries of the Middle East and all countries at war living in terror and destruction.
"Help us, Lord, to commit ourselves to building a fraternal world so that these peoples and those in the same conditions of conflict of instability and violence may find the path of respect for human rights where justice, dialogue and reconciliation are the indispensable tools for building peace," she prayed.

In his appeal, Pope Francis acknowledged that “it is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves”.
However, he expressed concern for the “total siege facing the Palestinians in Gaza, where there have also been many innocent victims.”
Israel announced a “complete siege” on Gaza, promising to shut off access to electricity, food, water, and gas.
The Pope invited both parties to restraint in hopes of reaching a solution to the war.
“Terrorism and extremism do not help to reach a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but fuel hatred, violence, and revenge, causing suffering to both sides,” he said.

[I agree, but what do palestinians have to lose by fighting, and what do they have to gain by pacifism ? Is there another "solution" for them than to abandon their holy lands ? We won't even give something in exchange, that's not fair, and i don't see what they hoped to gain from this attack, it seemed desperate/aimless. Perhaps better than doing nothing, it raised awareness of their issue, i.d.k...]

From the book of the prophet Malachi (Ml 3:13-20b) :
You have defied me in word, says the LORD, yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you ?"
You have said, "It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress in awe of the LORD of hosts ?
Rather must we call the proud blessed ; for indeed evildoers prosper, and even tempt God with impunity."
Then, they who fear the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened attentively ; and a record book was written before him of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name. [Pretty much the same as those who are virtuous i.m.h.o.]
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them, as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then, you will again see the distinction between the just and the wicked ; between the one who serves God, and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays.

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:15-26) :

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said : “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”

Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand ?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out ? Therefore, they will be your judges.
But if[ you judge that] it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. [The kingdom of God is also a state of mind]
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
["Whoever is not with me is against me" is a known sentence, it seems to me more obvious/undeniable in "whoever is against me is not with me", but in this context neutrality or otherness wasn't a parameter]

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest, but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came’.
But, upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes, and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first”

[I think that they were talking about real spirits, but it could still be interpreted as simple thoughts exorcised through dialogue ?]

Words of the Holy Father : (...) the evil that we acknowledge and try to uproot from our lives does indeed leave us, but we would be naïve to think that it will long be gone. In short order, it comes back under a new guise.
Before, it appeared rough and violent, now it shows up as elegant and refined(...), [without us] even being conscious of [the re-entry of these "elegant demons"].
Only the daily practice of the examination of conscience can enable us to be aware of them. (Speeches, Roman Curia, 22 December 2022)

As-Saffat(, "Those who rank themselves in Order") (37:83-109)

[After talking about Noah]

And indeed, one of those who followed his way was Abraham.
˹Remember˺ when he came to his Lord with a pure heart, and said to his father and his people, “What are you worshipping ? Is it false gods that you desire instead of Allah ? What then do you expect from the Lord of all worlds ?”
He later looked up to the stars ˹in contemplation˺, then said, “I am really sick". So they turned their backs on him and went away.
Then, he ˹stealthily˺ advanced towards their gods, and said ˹mockingly˺, “Will you not eat ˹your offerings˺ ? What is wrong with you that you cannot speak ?”
Then, he swiftly turned on them, striking ˹them˺ with his right hand.
Later, his people came rushing towards him ˹furiously˺.
He argued, “How can you worship what you carve ˹with your own hands˺, when it is Allah Who created you and whatever you do ?”
They said ˹to one another˺, “Build him a furnace and cast him into the blazing fire.”
And so they sought to harm him, but We made them inferior.
He later said, “I am leaving ˹in obedience˺ to my Lord. He will guide me. My Lord ! Bless me with righteous offspring.”
So We gave him good news of a forbearing son.

Then, when the boy reached the age to work with him, Abraham said, “O my dear son ! I have seen in a dream that I ˹must˺ sacrifice you. So tell me what you think.”
He replied, “O my dear father ! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.”
Then, when they submitted ˹to Allah’s Will˺, and Abraham laid him on the side of his forehead ˹for sacrifice˺, We called out to him, “O Abraham ! You have already fulfilled the vision.” Indeed, this is how We reward the good-doers.
That was truly a revealing test.
And We ransomed his son with a great sacrifice, and blessed Abraham ˹with honourable mention˺ among later generations : “Peace be upon Abraham.”

[Then Muhammad ﷺ talks/recites about Isaac]

Saint of the day : Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch