WEDNESDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR II, Green)
Reading 1 (1 CORINTHIANS 12:31-13:13)
A reading from the 1st Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Responsorial Psalm (PSALM 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 AND 22)
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Alleluia (SEE JOHN 6:63C, 68C)
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life,
you have the words of everlasting life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (LUKE 7:31-35)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
“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: We all know Jesus Christ very well. He is not only our friend and brother, but he is also our Lord and Merciful Intercessor before the Father. Because of his saving sacrifice on the Cross for our salvation, God gave him authority over all the nations. But how sure are we that we recognize him in the different signs of the times? In the Gospel (Luke 7:31-35), Jesus compares the people of his generation as to children who sing, dance, and make merry in the marketplace. Yet they tell the One who saw and heard that he did not join them. Then Jesus addresses to the people about the time Saint John the Baptist came in righteousness, and how well did many of them, including the leaders, say that he was a glutton and a drunkard. But, finally, the Lord says: “Wisdom is vindicated by all her children” (Luke 7:35). The children in the parable are those who spent their lives in sin and wastefulness. They hear the words of Christ, the Baptist, and the prophets, but they have ignored those sayings. In our world today, there are many people that are corrupt, boastful, unfaithful, and mean. Yet Jesus tells them, and continues reminding us, that they must have this conversion in their minds and hearts, and hear and obey his words. Not only should we listen to him and act, but also to his servants, the instruments of God, because they also want us to become his good followers. In the First Reading (1 Corinthians 12:31—13:13), St. Paul reminds us to live the virtue of love, which is the highest of all virtues. Love is the fulfillment of the Law, and it explains the lesson of the whole Scriptures. So Paul reminds us that this love that we manifest should be that as of God’s standards. Love is unconditional that we show it to others without any hesitation. It should also be kind in expressing one’s concern for others. Mostly it should also be good that it rejoices in the truth that comes from Christ. As we journey down this road, let us not spend our lives in wastefulness, but rather in faithfulness to the Lord and following the examples of his obedient children.
Bearers of the Cross 