Jesus is for everyone. He is the Lord, our Lord, king of kings. And the joy of the Gospel is that He has come to free us from our sin, for us to be fully alive in Him. He is the Word made flesh who dwelled amongst us. Seen by angels, proclaimed to pagans alike . And through His life, death, and resurrection, He has conquered death and brought us all hope of life eternal with God our Heavenly Father.
But this message of good news, while preached to everybody, is not received in the same light. Some refuse to listen, have no joy in their heart, for they do not have the joy of the Lord upon them. Others refuse to mourn for their sins, repent, and make their way back to the Lord our God.
But does that mean we tire and give up hope of sharing this Good News? Nay. For all of us who live in the joy of the Lord must continue to bring the good news to everyone who would listen. So that joy of the Lord can rest upon them too. Amen.
Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop, Doctor , Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin, Doctor pray for us…
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First reading
1 Timothy 3:14-16 ·
The mystery of our religion is very deep
At the moment of writing to you, I am hoping that I may be with you soon; but in case I should be delayed, I wanted you to know how people ought to behave in God’s family – that is, in the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:
He was made visible in the flesh,
attested by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the pagans,
believed in by the world, taken up in glory.
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Gospel
Luke 7:31-35
‘We played the pipes, and you wouldn’t dance’
Jesus said to the people:
‘What description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the market-place:
‘“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t cry.”
‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom has been proved right by all her children.’
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