Friday of the Thirteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 381
Lectionary: 381
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
"When will the new moon be over," you ask,
"that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?"
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!"
On that day, says the Lord GOD,
I will make the sun set at midday
and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
and all your songs into lamentations.
I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth
and make every head bald.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end.
Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.
and destroy the poor of the land!
"When will the new moon be over," you ask,
"that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?"
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!"
On that day, says the Lord GOD,
I will make the sun set at midday
and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
and all your songs into lamentations.
I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth
and make every head bald.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end.
Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 119:2, 10, 20, 30, 40,
131
R. (Matthew 4:4) One does not live by bread alone, but by
every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
My soul is consumed with longing
for your ordinances at all times.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
AlleluiaMT 11:28
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Meditation: "I desire mercy - not sacrifice"
What is God's call on your life? Jesus chose Matthew
to be his follower and friend, not because Matthew was religious or learned,
popular or saintly. Matthew appeared to be none of those. He chose to live a
life of wealth and ease. His profession was probably the most corrupted and
despised by everyone because tax collectors made themselves wealthy by
over-charging and threatening people if they did not hand over their money to
them.
God searches our heart
What did Jesus see in Matthew that others did not see? When the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint the future heir to the throne of Israel, he bypassed all the first seven sons and chose the last! "God looks at the heart and not at the appearance of a man" he declared (1 Samuel 16:7). David's heart was like a compass looking for true north - it pointed to God. Matthew's heart must have yearned for God, even though he dare not show his face in a synagogue - the Jewish house of prayer and the study of Torah - God's law. When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office - no doubt counting his day's profit - Jesus spoke only two words - "follow me". Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy.
What did Jesus see in Matthew that others did not see? When the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint the future heir to the throne of Israel, he bypassed all the first seven sons and chose the last! "God looks at the heart and not at the appearance of a man" he declared (1 Samuel 16:7). David's heart was like a compass looking for true north - it pointed to God. Matthew's heart must have yearned for God, even though he dare not show his face in a synagogue - the Jewish house of prayer and the study of Torah - God's law. When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office - no doubt counting his day's profit - Jesus spoke only two words - "follow me". Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy.
John Chrysostom, the great 5th century church father,
describes Matthew's calling: "Why did Jesus not call Matthew at the same
time as he called Peter and John and the rest? He came to each one at a
particular time when he knew that they would respond to him. He came at a
different time to call Matthew when he was assured that Matthew would surrender
to his call. Similarly, he called Paul at a different time when he was
vulnerable, after the resurrection, something like a hunter going after his
quarry. For he who is acquainted with our inmost hearts and knows the secrets
of our minds knows when each one of us is ready to respond fully. Therefore he
did not call them all together at the beginning, when Matthew was still in a
hardened condition. Rather, only after countless miracles, after his fame
spread abroad, did he call Matthew. He knew Matthew had been softened for full
responsiveness."
Jesus- the divine physician
When the Pharisees challenged Jesus' unorthodox behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defense was quite simple. A doctor doesn't need to visit healthy people - instead he goes to those who are sick. Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person - body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life. The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed spiritual care. Their religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised.All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
When the Pharisees challenged Jesus' unorthodox behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defense was quite simple. A doctor doesn't need to visit healthy people - instead he goes to those who are sick. Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true physician seeks healing of the whole person - body, mind, and spirit. Jesus came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to restore them to wholeness of life. The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed spiritual care. Their religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically the orthodox were as needy as those they despised.All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
On more than one occasion Jesus quoted the saying from
the prophet Hosea: For I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Hosea
6:6). Do you thank the Lord Jesus for the great mercy he has shown to
you? And do you show mercy to your neighbor as well?
"Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to you:
Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts are
sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak; strengthen
them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with your divine
presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and only for
yourself." (Prayer of Augustine, 354-430)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Matthew did not delay when called by Jesus,
by Chromatius (died 406 AD)
"The Lord, about to give salvation to all sinners
believing in him, willingly chose Matthew the former publican. The gift of his
esteem for Matthew stands as an example for our salvation. Every sinner must be
chosen by God and can receive the grace of eternal salvation if one is not
without a religious mind and a devout heart. So Matthew was chosen willingly by
God. And though he is immersed in worldly affairs, because of his sincere
religious devotion he is judged worthy to be called forth by the Lord
("Follow me"), who by virtue of his divine nature knows the hidden
recesses of the heart. From what follows, we know that Matthew was accepted by
the Lord not by reason of his status but of his faith and devotion. As soon as
the Lord says to him, "Follow me," he does not linger or delay, but
thereupon "he arose and followed him." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 45.1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and
bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome.
He died in 406 AD. Jerome described
him as a "most learned and most holy man."]
FRIDAY, JULY
6, MATTHEW 9:9-13
Weekday
(Amos 8:4-6, 9-12; Psalm 119)
Weekday
(Amos 8:4-6, 9-12; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do" (v. 12).
TO KNOW: Matthew ("Levi" in Mark’s and Luke's gospels) was a publican, a collector of taxes. Matthew was thought to be a sinner because he cooperated with the occupying Roman forces in the collection of taxes for the empire. What's more, tax collectors were often accused of extorting money from their own people and lining their pockets with the profits. When Jesus invited Matthew to follow him as a disciple he didn't ask Matthew to change his way of living. He simply said: "Follow me" (v. 9). Moreover, Jesus accepted an invitation to dine in Matthew's home along with many well-known sinners. The Pharisees, who were strict observers of the Law of Moses, were outraged and asked Jesus to explain his apparent disregard for their religious practices. Jesus condemned those who pretended to act virtuously and showed no compassion people in need of mercy (Hos 6:6). Jesus' purpose in coming was to call sinners to repentance. Those who were spiritually 'sick' knew they had need of a healer; those who thought they were blameless did not recognize their need for Divine mercy.
TO LOVE: Do I respond eagerly to Jesus' call to reform my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be aware of my need for repentance.
Optional Memorial of Saint Maria
Goretti, virgin and martyr
Maria Goretti was a beautiful, pious farm girl. In 1902, at age twelve, Maria was attacked by Alessandro Serenelli, a 19 year-old farm-hand. He tried to rape the girl who fought back, crying out that it was a sin and that he would go to Hell. He tried to choke her into submission, then stabbed her fourteen times. She survived in a hospital for two days, forgave her attacker, asked God's forgiveness of him, and died holding a crucifix and medal of Our Lady. While in prison for his crime, Allessandro had a vision of Maria, dressed in white, gathering lilies. This vision led to Alessandro's conversion, and he later testified at her cause for beatification. She was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. The ceremony was attended by 250,000 including her mother, the only time a parent witnessed her child's canonization.
Friday 6 July
2018
Day of Penance.
Amos 8:4-6, 9-12. Psalm 118(119):2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131. Matthew
9:9-13.
No one lives on bread alone, but on every word that comes from
the mouth of God—Psalm 118(119):2, 10, 20, 30, 40, 131.
‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
Jesus speaks to the Pharisees, who have created a temple with no
place of comfort for the poor or excluded. He is at ease among the sinners and
tax collectors, as they are open and welcoming to his words. When Jesus calls
Matthew, he is at work. Filled with a desire to respond, Matthew moves without
hesitation to be beside Jesus.
How closely do we live with Jesus, who came and lived among us
eating with sinners, healing all who were sick and giving an example of
service?
Can we learn to ‘walk in the Law of the Lord’ as Jesus did? Can
we learn to give God glory?
Saint of the Day for July 6
(October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902)
Saint Maria Goretti
 |
| Stained glass window of Saint Maria Goretti | Reinhard Müller |
Saint Maria Goretti’s Story
One of the largest crowds ever assembled for a
canonization—250,000—symbolized the reaction of millions touched by the simple
story of Maria Goretti. She was the daughter of a poor Italian tenant farmer,
had no chance to go to school, never learned to read or write. When Maria made
her First Communion not long before her death at age 12, she was one of the
larger and somewhat backward members of the class.
On a hot afternoon in July, Maria was sitting at the top of the
stairs of her house, mending a shirt. She was not quite 12 years old, but
physically mature. A cart stopped outside, and a neighbor, 18-year-old
Alessandro, ran up the stairs. He seized her and pulled her into a bedroom. She
struggled and tried to call for help. “No, God does not wish it,” she cried
out. “It is a sin. You would go to hell for it.” Alessandro began striking at
her blindly with a long dagger.
Maria was taken to a hospital. Her last hours were marked by the
usual simple compassion of the good—concern about where her mother would sleep,
forgiveness of her murderer (she had been in fear of him, but did not say anything
lest she cause trouble to his family), and her devout welcoming of Viaticum,
her last Holy Communion. She died about 24 hours after the attack.
Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. For a long time
he was unrepentant and surly. One night he had a dream or vision of Maria
gathering flowers and offering them to him. His life changed. When he was
released after 27 years, his first act was to go to beg the forgiveness of
Maria’s mother.
Devotion to the young martyr grew, miracles were worked, and in
less than half a century she was canonized. At her beatification in 1947, her
82-year-old mother, two sisters and a brother, appeared with Pope Pius XII on
the balcony of St. Peter’s. Three years later at Maria’s canonization, a
66-year-old Alessandro Serenelli knelt among the quarter-million people and
cried tears of joy.
Reflection
Maria may have had trouble with catechism, but she had no
trouble with faith. God’s will was holiness, decency, respect for one’s body,
absolute obedience, total trust. In a complex world, her faith was simple: It
is a privilege to be loved by God, and to love him—at any cost.
Saint Maria Goretti is the Patron Saint of:
Catholic Youth
Girls
Teenagers
Girls
Teenagers
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 9,9-13
Lectio Divina:
Friday, July 6, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 9,9-13
As Jesus was walking on from there he
saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, 'Follow
me.' And he got up and followed him.
Now while he was at table in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?'
When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
Now while he was at table in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?'
When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
3) Reflection
• The Sermon on the Mountain takes
chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. The purpose of the
narrative part of chapters 8 and 9 is to show how Jesus put into practice what
he had just taught. In the Sermon on the Mountain, he teaches acceptance
(Mt 5, 23-25. 38-42.43). Now he puts it into practice accepting the
lepers (Mt 8, 1-4), the foreigners (Mt 8, 5-13), the women (Mt 8, 14-15), the
sick (Mt 8, 16-17), the possessed (Mt 8, 28-34), the paralytics (Mt 9, 1-8),
the tax collectors (Mt 9, 9-13), the unclean persons (Mt 9, 20-22), etc.
Jesus breaks the norms and the customs which excluded and divided persons, that
is with the fear and the lack of faith (Mt 8, 23-27) the laws on purity (9,
14-17), and he clearly says which are the requirements for those who want to
follow him. They should have the courage to abandon many things (Mt 8,
18-22). In the same way in the attitudes and in the practice of Jesus we
see in what the Kingdom and the perfect observance of the Law of God consists.
• Matthew 9, 9: The call to follow Jesus. The first persons called to follow Jesus are four fishermen, all Jewish (Mt 4, 18-22). Now Jesus calls a tax collector, considered a sinner and treated as an unclean person by the community of the most observant of the Pharisees. In the other Gospels, this tax collector is called Levi. Here, his name is Matthew, which means gift of God or given by God. The communities, instead of excluding the tax collector and of considering him unclean, should consider him a Gift of God for the community, because his presence makes the community become a sign of salvation for all! Like the first four who were called, in the same way also Matthew, the tax collector, leaves everything that he has and follows Jesus. The following of Jesus requires breaking away from many things. Matthew leaves the tax office, his source of revenue and follows Jesus!
• Matthew 9, 10: Jesus sits at table with sinners and tax collectors. At that time the Jews lived separated from the tax collectors and sinners and they did not eat with them at the same table. The Christian Jews should break away from this isolation and sit at table with the tax collectors and with the unclean, according to the teaching given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mountain, the expression of the universal love of God the Father (Mt 5, 44-48). The mission of the communities was that of offering a place to those who did not have it. But this new law was not accepted by all. In some communities persons coming from paganism, even if they were Christians, were not accepted around the same table (cf. Ac 10, 28; 11, 3; Ga 2, 12). The text of today’s Gospel shows us Jesus who sits at table with tax collectors and sinners in the same house, around the same table.
• Matthew 9, 11: The question of the Pharisees. Jews were forbidden to sit at table with the tax collectors and with sinners, but Jesus does not follow this prohibition. Rather he becomes a friend to them. The Pharisees seeing the attitude of Jesus, ask the disciples: “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” This question may be interpreted as an expression of their desire to know why Jesus acts in that way. Others interpret the question like a criticism of Jesus’ behaviour, because for over five hundred years, from the time of the slavery in Babylon until the time of Jesus, the Jews had observed the laws of purity. This secular observance became a strong sign of identity. At the same time it was a factor of their separation in the midst of other peoples. Thus, because of the laws on purity, they could not nor did they succeed to sit around the same table to eat with tax collectors. To eat with tax collectors meant to get contaminated, to become unclean. The precepts of legal purity were rigorously observed, in Palestine as well as in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora. At the time of Jesus, there were more than five hundred precepts to keep purity. In the years 70’s, at the time when Matthew wrote, this conflict was very actual.
• Matthew 9, 12-13: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. Jesus hears the question of the Pharisees to the disciples and he answers with two clarifications: the first one is taken from common sense: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick”. The second one is taken from the Bible: “Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. Through these clarifications, Jesus makes explicit and clarifies his mission among the people: “I have not come to call the upright but sinners”. Jesus denies the criticism of the Pharisees; he does not accept their arguments, because they came from a false idea of the Law of God. He himself invokes the Bible: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. For Jesus, mercy is more important than legal purity. He refers to the prophetic tradition to say that mercy has greater value for God than all sacrifices (Ho 6, 6; Is 1, 10-17). God has profound mercy, and is moved before the failures of his people (Ho 11, 8-9).
• Matthew 9, 9: The call to follow Jesus. The first persons called to follow Jesus are four fishermen, all Jewish (Mt 4, 18-22). Now Jesus calls a tax collector, considered a sinner and treated as an unclean person by the community of the most observant of the Pharisees. In the other Gospels, this tax collector is called Levi. Here, his name is Matthew, which means gift of God or given by God. The communities, instead of excluding the tax collector and of considering him unclean, should consider him a Gift of God for the community, because his presence makes the community become a sign of salvation for all! Like the first four who were called, in the same way also Matthew, the tax collector, leaves everything that he has and follows Jesus. The following of Jesus requires breaking away from many things. Matthew leaves the tax office, his source of revenue and follows Jesus!
• Matthew 9, 10: Jesus sits at table with sinners and tax collectors. At that time the Jews lived separated from the tax collectors and sinners and they did not eat with them at the same table. The Christian Jews should break away from this isolation and sit at table with the tax collectors and with the unclean, according to the teaching given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mountain, the expression of the universal love of God the Father (Mt 5, 44-48). The mission of the communities was that of offering a place to those who did not have it. But this new law was not accepted by all. In some communities persons coming from paganism, even if they were Christians, were not accepted around the same table (cf. Ac 10, 28; 11, 3; Ga 2, 12). The text of today’s Gospel shows us Jesus who sits at table with tax collectors and sinners in the same house, around the same table.
• Matthew 9, 11: The question of the Pharisees. Jews were forbidden to sit at table with the tax collectors and with sinners, but Jesus does not follow this prohibition. Rather he becomes a friend to them. The Pharisees seeing the attitude of Jesus, ask the disciples: “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” This question may be interpreted as an expression of their desire to know why Jesus acts in that way. Others interpret the question like a criticism of Jesus’ behaviour, because for over five hundred years, from the time of the slavery in Babylon until the time of Jesus, the Jews had observed the laws of purity. This secular observance became a strong sign of identity. At the same time it was a factor of their separation in the midst of other peoples. Thus, because of the laws on purity, they could not nor did they succeed to sit around the same table to eat with tax collectors. To eat with tax collectors meant to get contaminated, to become unclean. The precepts of legal purity were rigorously observed, in Palestine as well as in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora. At the time of Jesus, there were more than five hundred precepts to keep purity. In the years 70’s, at the time when Matthew wrote, this conflict was very actual.
• Matthew 9, 12-13: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. Jesus hears the question of the Pharisees to the disciples and he answers with two clarifications: the first one is taken from common sense: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick”. The second one is taken from the Bible: “Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. Through these clarifications, Jesus makes explicit and clarifies his mission among the people: “I have not come to call the upright but sinners”. Jesus denies the criticism of the Pharisees; he does not accept their arguments, because they came from a false idea of the Law of God. He himself invokes the Bible: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. For Jesus, mercy is more important than legal purity. He refers to the prophetic tradition to say that mercy has greater value for God than all sacrifices (Ho 6, 6; Is 1, 10-17). God has profound mercy, and is moved before the failures of his people (Ho 11, 8-9).
4) Personal questions
• Today, in our society, who is
marginalized and excluded? Why? In our community, do we have
preconceptions or prejudices? Which? Which is the challenge which the words of
Jesus present to our community?
• Jesus asks the people to read and to understand the Old Testament which says: “Mercy is what pleases me and not sacrifice”. What does Jesus want to tell us with this today?
• Jesus asks the people to read and to understand the Old Testament which says: “Mercy is what pleases me and not sacrifice”. What does Jesus want to tell us with this today?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed are those who observe his
instructions,
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts,
and, doing no evil, who walk in his ways. (Ps 119,2-3)
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts,
and, doing no evil, who walk in his ways. (Ps 119,2-3)
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