Billy Graham was in the golf course one day. People were happy to see him mingling with them, agreeing to photo shoots, and having laughs with everyone. Billy’s mere presence reminds them of God’s love. But in the same crowd were those who hated to see him. “He makes me uncomfortable. He threatens my choices and my lifestyle.”

Jesus is everything who God is—in the flesh. People delight in seeing Him. They abandon everything to follow Him. His words give comfort and healing to the sick. But the same words stir anger in the hearts of the scribes. His miracles caused people to worship Him, but the same miracles triggered the Pharisees to plot His death.

They called John the Baptist “possessed by a demon.” The same people called Jesus “glutton and drunkard.” Nah! We don’t see the world as it is; we see the world as we are. 

We don’t see God as He is; we see Him as we are. Jon Escoto (faithatworkjon@gmail.com)

Reflect:

If Jesus visits your life in a new way today, what are the chances that you won’t see Him?

Jesus, my sick heart is incapable of seeing You. Heal me. Help me see You as You really are today. Amen.

Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr, pray for us.

Our lives are filled with “ifs.” “If only I had done that.” “If only this was the case.” “If only I was obedient.” But we cannot dwell on the past forever. We should learn from our past mistakes but have eyes for the unknown future. Let us do our best to obey and rectify to some degree the mistakes of the past.

¹⁷ Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. ¹⁸ If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; ¹⁹ Your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6

R: Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

¹ Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, ² but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night. (R) ³ He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. (R) ⁴ Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. ⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes. (R)

Gospel | Matthew 11:16-19

We need to learn that we can never please people all the time. Any decision made will probably displease at least one person. Jesus knew this struggle. Yet He always told the truth the way He saw it. Let us pray for the grace to be a steadfast witness to the truth of the Gospel, no matter what the cost.

Gospel Acclamation

The Lord will come; go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.

¹⁶ Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

Reflect:

How do you understand the verse "wisdom is vindicated by her works"?

Read the Bible in one year! Read TITUS today.

Humankind has been described as stubborn, stiff-necked, and hard hearted throughout salvation history. Hardened hearts and God-resisting sinners make frequent appearances in the Bible. Many people in the time of Jesus and John were like that. They had their minds made up about certain things. There is nothing anyone could say or do to change them.   

In the Gospel, Jesus asks, “To what shall I compare this generation?” (Matthew 11:16). He then continues with a parable. When children sit and play in the marketplace, they often show their disinterested and uncooperative reaction to the games. If a dirge is sung, they want to dance. If a joyful wedding flute is played, they prefer to mourn.

This is how Jesus describes the people’s reaction toward Him and John.  When John the Baptist came “neither eating nor drinking,” they accused him of being “possessed by a demon,” so they didn’t have to acknowledge or follow him. When the “Son of Man came eating and drinking,” they accused Him of being “a glutton and a drunkard” and, therefore, a friend of sinners, so they refused to follow Him. Both messages were rejected but with different excuses.     

 Matthew’s Jesus makes no effort to hide His contempt for such persons: “To what shall I compare this generation?” Their generation—our generation—may not be actively engaged in overt evil, but our ears may be plugged against the dirge and our hearts hardened against these celebrations. Fr. Rick Montañez, AA

reflection question

How open are you to the truth? 

Lord, I pray for the grace to acknowledge the truth, to accept it with humility and openness, and to stand up for it at all costs. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________