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Time and time again from days of old to days present, You O Lord my God sent prophets, priests, men and women to bring the message of hope and salvation to Your children. The call to turn away from sin and to be faithful to You and Your Word for us. Were we listening? Are we listening now?

Let our hearts not be hardened but filled with Your love. So that we may take up our cross to follow You, and pave the narrow path for ourselves and for all as we herald the news of Your imminent return. Let the obstacles and trials that come our way be a form of penance for us as we offer them up and embrace them for purification and growth. We rest assured that You are with us every step of the way. Amen

FIRST READING
Sirach 48:1–4, 9–11

GOSPEL
Matthew 17:9a, 10–13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Fruitful and loving lives is what You desire for us O God and all that we ever need to do is to follow Your direction for us.  Why are we so weak? Why do we continue to listen to our own voice or voices of the world? Instead of embracing Your laws which are safeguards for our peace and joy, we often view them as obstacles and restrictions to our own view of ‘happiness’.

Lord Jesus You came to free us from our sinful lives, help us overcome the temptations to sin and to fall back into sin. Give us wisdom to seek out the truth which is to be found only in You. Help us to remain faithful, we ask this in Your most precious name. Amen

First Reading       Isaiah 48:17–19

 GOSPEL

Matthew 11:16–19
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, 17 ‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”