Muslims start the month of Ramadan.

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Sirach 17,1-15

The Lord fashioned human beings from the earth, to consign them back to it. He gave them so many days and so much time, he gave them authority over everything on earth. He clothed them in strength, like himself, and made them in his own image. He filled all living things with dread of human beings, making them masters over beasts and birds. He made them a tongue, eyes and ears, and gave them a heart to think with. He filled them with knowledge and intelligence, and showed them what was good and what evil. He put his own light in their hearts to show them the magnificence of his works, so that they would praise his holy name as they told of his magnificent works. He set knowledge before them, he endowed them with the law of life. He established an eternal covenant with them, and revealed his judgements to them. Their eyes saw the majesty of his glory, and their ears heard the glory of his voice. He said to them, 'Beware of all wrong-doing'; he gave each a commandment concerning his neighbour. Their ways are always under his eye, they cannot be hidden from his sight.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The wisdom books propose multiple times reflections on creation and human beings within the creation. The first chapters of Genesis also develop this theme. At times we live our daily lives without questioning ourselves and passively accepting passively and with fixed habits what surrounds us, as if it were all taken for granted. We only stop and reflect when we are hit directly by sudden events like death, wars or natural disasters. But then everything passes and returns to its daily banality. But the world is a combination of diverse realities in which we are just a small part that does not live separated from the rest rather we are part of creation. The encyclical letter of pope Francis, Laudato si', has helped us thinking of humanity as part of creation. So, Sirach invites us to reflect on the reality of what it means to be women and men, creatures made in the image of God, from whom we take life and strength. We are not the masters of life, even less of death, even if today our presumptuous human sense of omnipotence tries to make us believe this. God has made us part of his own life. The sacred author here numbers the gifts we have received: life, strength, fear of man and God, discerning, language, eyes, ears and heart, science and intelligence. How can we respond to all this abundance? According to Sirach, we should do what the story of the creation has put on the Sabbath, fulfilment of God's work, that is: "They will praise your holy name to tell of the greatness of your works." In praise we recognize the greatness and love of God, while we become aware of our smallness and fragility. This is the awareness with which we should live each day, to be able to receive the life of God and stay in alliance with him.