Revelation 21: the holy city with twelve gates in today's Gospel

The heavenly Jerusalem of Revelation, reading for this Monday's Gospel
What is the Church reading this Monday, 24 August? The first reading of the day, from Revelation 21, describes the holy city of Jerusalem coming down from heaven, with the glory of God and a radiance like a precious stone. Twelve gates, twelve angels and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel line the wall. On the twelve foundations are the names of the twelve apostles.

Today's liturgy places the emphasis on God's reign and his saints, and the daily distribution of these texts has become an unmissable appointment for thousands of faithful who receive them every morning online. A routine that combines the Word with devotions such as the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which, according to the guidance shared, is ideally prayed at 3 pm, the hour of mercy.

Saints' calendar and the Desert Fathers
The day also includes the saints' calendar, with the profiles from Vatican News, and a tradition dating back to the early centuries: the apophthegms of the Desert Fathers, brief sayings of the hermits. Among them stands out that of Saint Barsanuphius of Gaza, who distinguishes the doubt that leads to God from the one sown by the enemy that draws us away from prayer. A nuance for discernment that has lost none of its relevance.

The Jerusalem that cannot be seen
The image of the holy city with twelve gates and apostolic foundations is one of the most powerful in the New Testament. Against earthly bureaucracy, where there are no twelve gates and even the simplest things require an appointment, the vision of Revelation still offers a contrast: a perfect order where the glory of God illuminates everything.