First reading Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22
Your wound is incurable but I will heal you
The word addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord: the Lord, the God of Israel says this: Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
Yes, the Lord says this:
Your wound is incurable,
your injury past healing.
There is no one to care for your sore,
no medicine to make you well again.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they look for you no more.
Yes, I have struck you as an enemy strikes,
with harsh punishment
so great is your guilt, so many your sins.
Why bother to complain about your wound?
Your pain is incurable.
So great is your guilt, so many your sins,
that I have done all this to you.
The Lord says this:
Now I will restore the tents of Jacob,
and take pity on his dwellings:
the city shall be rebuilt on its ruins,
the citadel restored on its site.
From them will come thanksgiving
and shouts of joy.
I will make them increase, and not diminish them,
make them honoured, and not disdained.
Their sons shall be as once they were,
their community fixed firm in my presence,
and I will punish all their oppressors.
Their prince will be one of their own,
their ruler come from their own people.
I will let him come freely into my presence
and he can come close to me;
who else, indeed, would risk his life
by coming close to me? – it is the Lord who speaks.
And you shall be my people and I will be your God.
Responsorial Psalm 101(102):16-21,29,22-23
The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall fear the name of the Lord
and all the earth’s kings your glory,
when the Lord shall build up Zion again
and appear in all his glory.
Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;
he will not despise their prayers.
Let this be written for ages to come
that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;
for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.
He looked down from heaven to the earth
that he might hear the groans of the prisoners
and free those condemned to die.
The sons of your servants shall dwell untroubled
and their race shall endure before you
that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Zion
and his praise in the heart of Jerusalem,
when peoples and kingdoms are gathered together
to pay their homage to the Lord.
Gospel Matthew 15:1-2,10-14
Any plant my Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots
Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, ‘Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat food.’ He called the people to him and said, ‘Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean.’
Then the disciples came to him and said, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked when they heard what you said?’ He replied, ‘Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind men leading blind men; and if one blind man leads another, both will fall into a pit.’
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A cleansed heart
In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean”, inviting us to move from appearance to what lies within the heart. God looks beyond external appearances and actions, but He sees our inner thoughts and motives.
We often want to appear good and stick to familiar routines to feel secure and safe. However, when our love for image and habit replaces true love, our actions and words become mere performances rather than expressions of quiet fidelity. Today, let His Word purify our hearts so that our outward actions are motivated by love. May love shape every word we speak and every deed we do. Let us honestly ask Jesus, “What is in my heart that needs to be purified? Is it pride, envy, or anger?” Let us choose to be more intentional in how we show our love throughout our day.
Reflective question:
What change do I need to let God work in me so that love will guide me today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
