September 17, 2025
Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 445
Reading 1
Beloved:
I am writing you,
although I hope to visit you soon.
But if I should be delayed,
you should know how to behave in the household of God,
which is the Church of the living God,
the pillar and foundation of truth.
Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion,
Who was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
Responsorial Psalm
R.(2) How great are the works of the Lord!
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life,
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to the crowds:
"To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091725.cfm
Commentary on 1
Timothy 3:14-16
The first part of today’s reading is an immediate follow-up
on yesterday’s about the qualities required of bishops (episkopoi) and
deacons (diakonoi).
Paul is writing to Timothy from Rome in the hope of being
able to pay him a personal visit in the near future. But in case his visit is
“delayed” (because he may actually be in prison), he is sending the present
letter in order to instruct him on his responsibility of setting high standards
of conduct in the Church of Ephesus and its nearby towns:
I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am
delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
The care he must exercise over this community is required by
the profound nature of Christianity, as:
…the mystery of godliness is great.
A full understanding of our Christian faith and of the
Church requires a great deal of prayer and reflection. And, unless there is a
deep understanding of what it is about, one cannot expect Christians to behave
in a desirable manner.
Then, using what seems to be part of a liturgical hymn from
the Ephesian church, Paul expresses that “mystery” at the heart of Christian
belief. It consists of six brief statements grouped in pairs:
He was revealed in flesh,
vindicated in spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.
It centres on Christ, pre-existent (from all eternity the
Word was with God), but through the Incarnation, appearing in human flesh. He
was justified in the Spirit, which came down on him during his baptism in the
Jordan:
And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the
Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:17)
Thus the mission of Jesus is fully endorsed, as will happen
again at the Transfiguration.
The holiness and divinity of Christ were also proved by his
rising in glory. The Holy Spirit enables Jesus to drive out demons (see Matt
12:28) and perform wonderful signs. Most importantly, the Spirit raised Jesus
from the dead and thereby vindicated him, proving that he was indeed the Son of
God. The mystery of his Person was revealed to the angels (at his resurrection
and ascension), and proclaimed to the Gentiles (by people like the Apostles and
Paul and Timothy).
The response of the Gentiles results in people believing in
Jesus throughout the world. As Paul wrote, ‘world’ refers to the Mediterranean
region, the world in which he lived, but of course, it has since become a
reality far beyond his wildest imagining. Finally, through his resurrection and
ascension Christ has been taken up in glory, sitting at the right hand of the
Father.
It is important for us to realise how deep is the mystery of
our Christian faith centred on the Trinity and the Incarnation. It is
inevitable that people, including bishops and priests, have different
understandings of that faith, even after much study. Such differences should
lead to a readiness to listen to others rather than lock ourselves into our own
understanding. And let us remember what Jesus said was the only true sign of
our belonging to him:
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if
you have love for one another. (John 13:35)
Because, wherever there is love, God is also there. That, of
course, does not excuse us (depending on our abilities) from trying to have the
best understanding possible of the meaning of our faith.
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Commentary on Luke
7:31-35
Today’s passage follows immediately after the scene (not in
our Mass readings) where Jesus answers the query from John the Baptist, now
languishing in prison, about whether Jesus is truly the Messiah. Jesus uses the
occasion to speak words of high praise for John:
I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater
than John, yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke
7:28)
Jesus now criticises the cynicism and self-contradictory
attitudes of those who reject both him and John. They have simply closed their
ears and want to hear nothing and learn nothing. He compares them to children
in a city square calling to their playmates:
We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we
wailed, and you did not weep.
This comparison Jesus applies to John the Baptist and
himself. John led an austere life in the desert eating, as we are told
elsewhere, only locusts and wild honey. They said he was mad and rejected him.
Jesus came leading a highly convivial life, mixing with all kinds of people.
They called him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and other
sinful people. He even invited a tax collector to be one of his twelve
Apostles!
It was a no-win situation. When people are like that there
is really nothing that can be done. Jesus concludes with the enigmatic
statement:
…wisdom is vindicated by all her children.
Both John and Jesus could be described as children of
Wisdom, whose origin is God himself. Those who can see the hand of God in the
lives of John and Jesus are also children of Wisdom. Those who adamantly refuse
to see God are not.
It is important for us not to fall into such a trap. God
speaks to us in so many ways and through so many people and situations. It is
very easy to find ourselves excluding, a priori, the people or situations by
which God is trying to reach us.
We cannot expect God to speak to us only in ways which we
find congenial. He may speak to us through a saint or a sinner, through a
conservative or a liberal, through a straight or gay person, or through a man
or a woman or a young child. Perhaps he speaks through an old person or a young
person, or through an educated or an illiterate person, or through someone we
know or someone we don’t. We have at all times to be ready to listen with an
unprejudiced mind and heart.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1244g/
Wednesday,
September 17, 2025
Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, our creator and guide, may
we serve You with all our hearts and know Your forgiveness in our lives. 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.
Gospel Reading - Luke 7: 31-35
Jesus
said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call
to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a
dirge, but you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor
drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came
eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a
friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her
children.”
Reflection
In today’s Gospel we see the originality of
the Good News which opens the way for people who are attached to ancient forms
of faith who feel lost and do not understand anything more of God’s action. In
order to hide their lack of openness and of understanding they defend and seek
childish pretexts to justify their attitude of lack of acceptance. Jesus reacts
with a parable to denounce the confusion of His enemies: “You are similar to
children who do not know what they want.”
•
Luke 7: 31: To whom, then, shall I compare you?
Jesus is struck by the reaction of the people and say: “What comparison, then,
can I find for the people of this generation? What are they like?” When
something is evident and the persons, out of ignorance or because of bad will,
do not perceive things and do not want to perceive them, it is good to find an
evident comparison which will reveal their incoherence and the ill will. And
Jesus is a Master in finding comparisons which speak for themselves.
•
Luke 7: 32: Like children without judgment. The
comparison which Jesus finds is this one. You are like “those children,
shouting to one another while they sit in the market place: we played the pipes
for you, and you would not dance; we sang dirges and you would not cry!”
Spoiled children, all over the world, have the same reaction. They complain
when others do not do and act as they say. The reason for Jesus’ complaint is
the arbitrary way with which people in the past reacted before John the Baptist
and how they react now before Jesus.
•
Luke 7: 33-34: Their opinion on John and on
Jesus. “For John the Baptist has come, not eating bread nor drinking wine, and
you say: he is possessed. The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and you
say: look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”
Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist; He believed in him and was baptized
by him. On the occasion of this Baptism in the Jordan, He had the revelation of
the Father regarding His mission as Messiah-Servant (Mk 1: 10). At the same
time, Jesus stressed the difference between Him and John. John was more severe,
more ascetical, did not eat nor drink. He remained in the desert and threatened
the people with the punishment of the Last Judgment (Lk 3: 7-9). Because of
this, people said that he was possessed. Jesus was more welcoming; He ate and
drank like everybody else. He went through the towns and entered the houses of
the people; He accepted the tax collectors and the prostitutes. This is why
they said that He was a glutton and a drunkard. Even considering His words
regarding “the men of this generation” (Lk 7: 31), in a general way, probably,
Jesus had in mind the opinion of the religious authority who did not believe in
Jesus (Mk 11: 29-33).
•
Luke 7: 35: The obvious conclusion to which
Jesus arrives. And Jesus ends drawing this conclusion: “Yet, wisdom is
justified by all her children.” The lack of seriousness and of coherence is
clearly seen in the opinion given on Jesus and on John. The bad will is so
evident that it needs no proof. That recalls the response of Job to his friends
who believe that they are wise: “Will no one teach you to be quiet! - the only
wisdom that becomes you!” (Job 13: 5).
Personal Questions
•
When I express my opinion on others, am I like
the Pharisees and the scribes who gave their opinion on Jesus and John? They
expressed only their preconceptions and said nothing on the persons whom they
judged.
•
Do you know any groups in the Church who would
merit the parable of Jesus?
Concluding Prayer
How blessed the nation whose God is
Yahweh, the people He has chosen as His heritage. From heaven Yahweh looks
down, He sees all the children of Adam. (Ps 33: 12-13)
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