First reading Micah 2:1-5
The plotters of evil will not escape
Woe to those who plot evil,
who lie in bed planning mischief!
No sooner is it dawn than they do it
– their hands have the strength for it.
Seizing the fields that they covet,
they take over houses as well,
owner and house they confiscate together,
taking both man and inheritance.
So the Lord says this:
Now it is I who plot
such mischief against this breed
as your necks will not escape;
nor will you be able to walk proudly,
so evil will the time be.
On that day they will make a satire on you,
sing a dirge and say,
‘We are stripped of everything;
my people’s portion is measured out and shared,
no one will give it back to them,
our fields are awarded to our despoiler.’
Therefore you will have no one
to measure out a share
in the community of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm 9B(10):1-4,7-8,14
Lord, do not forget the poor.
Lord, why do you stand afar off
and hide yourself in times of distress?
The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked:
he is caught in the schemes that others have made.
For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desires;
the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
In his pride the wicked says: ‘He will not punish.
There is no God.’ Such are his thoughts.
His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression,
mischief and deceit under his tongue.
He lies in wait among the reeds;
the innocent he murders in secret.
His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man.
But you have seen the trouble and sorrow,
you note it, you take it in hand.
The helpless trusts himself to you;
for you are the helper of the orphan.
Gospel Matthew 12:14-21
He cured them all but warned them not to make him known
The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.
Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:
Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved, the favourite of my soul.
I will endow him with my spirit,
and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations.
He will not brawl or shout,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break the crushed reed,
nor put out the smouldering wick
till he has led the truth to victory:
in his name the nations will put their hope.
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Justice and gentleness
In today’s Gospel, the religious leaders view Jesus with hostility and plot against Him. Yet, Jesus does not stop doing the good that He has been doing, nor does He fight back against the religious leaders. He simply continues to heal. He is indeed the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, the favourite of my soul…He will not brawl or shout, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick…” Jesus lives His life pursuing justice by standing with the weak and helping those in need. He embodies gentleness by offering compassion and understanding instead of being harsh toward those who are fragile. Through His actions, He shows that true strength lies in kindness and empathy.
For us today, the invitation is to let Jesus’ gentle love and strength touch our own lives, especially in our weaknesses. From Him we learn how to stand for what is right with a firm yet gentle strength that never becomes harsh toward the people around us.
Reflective question:
How can I stand up for what is right with gentle strength like Jesus?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
