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First Reading: Isaiah 48:17-19
If only you would hearken to my commandments.
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.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
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 and 6
R./ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
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,
But delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on his law day and night.
R./ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
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./ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the Lord watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R./ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:16-19
They listened to neither John nor to the Son of Man.
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,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
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.”
Introduction
“If you had only paid attention to what I have said,” complains the Lord through the prophet, for God wants our own good. Jesus complains that there are people who behave in a childish way when John the Baptist preaches repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah: they are like girls who refuse to dance when the flute plays joyful tunes or boys who refuse to mourn when people are weeping. The Lord is among us and asks for commitment so that we can lead the world to life, justice, and happiness. What is our faith worth if we do not practice it?
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
too often, we are deaf to your voice
and to the presence of your Son
among us, his people.
Inspire us by your prophets and your Spirit,
that now is the right moment to change
and to commit ourselves,
to the kind of life and to the justice
demanded by the kingdom.
Help us to make people see
that your Son is alive among us
and that he is our Lord for ever.
General Intercessions
– Lord, make us attentive to the voice of your Holy Spirit, that we may not let the right moment pass when he inspires us to do the works of justice and love, we pray:
– Make us listen to people who contest our laxity and materialism, we pray:
– Guide our political leaders to follow the voice of their conscience for the good of our people, rather than seek gain and political power, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
we bring before you
these gifts of bread and wine
and join your Son, Jesus Christ,
at the table he sets for us.
Give us the determination and strength
to bring his message and his life
to the people around us.
Help us to give ourselves to him
wholeheartedly and without hesitation,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
God, our Father,
now that we have eaten the bread of your Son,
help us to do now the good
we have postponed so long.
Make us just and fair to everyone,
to respect the poor and the little ones,
to visit the sick
and to feed the hungry.
Father, we are waiting for you
but do not let us make you wait for us,
for we want to follow your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Father.
Blessing
We should not be like the fickle children who pay no attention to what is good for them. May the Lord dispose us to do what is right and good always, even when it is inconvenient. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
