First reading Exodus 12:37-42
The sons of Israel leave Egypt hurriedly by night
The sons of Israel left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand on the march – all men – not counting their families. People of various sorts joined them in great numbers; there were flocks, too, and herds in immense droves. They baked cakes with the dough which they had brought from Egypt, unleavened because the dough was not leavened; they had been driven out of Egypt, with no time for dallying, and had not provided themselves with food for the journey. The time that the sons of Israel had spent in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And on the very day the four hundred and thirty years ended, all the array of the Lord left the land of Egypt. The night, when the Lord kept vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt, must be kept as a vigil in honour of the Lord for all their generations.
Responsorial Psalm 135(136):1,10-15,23-24
Great is his love, love without end.
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
He remembered us in our distress.
And he snatched us away from our foes.
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote.
He brought Israel out from their midst.
Arm outstretched, with power in his hand.
He divided the Red Sea in two.
He made Israel pass through the midst.
He flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea.
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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Courage to do good all the time
The Pharisees began plotting how to destroy Jesus because they already harboured a deep-seated hatred for Him. No matter what He did or said, their hardened hearts would not change. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus was aware of this and chose to withdraw from the district, away from the religious authorities. Rather than attempting to justify His actions or confronting the Pharisees directly, He silently continued to focus on His mission: loving others and serving those in need.
Jesus’ decision to withdraw was not an act of resignation but rather an expression of courage and determination. We should embrace this attitude in our own lives. Despite the opposition and prejudices we receive from others, we must never stop loving and doing good. Today, let us choose to have a heart of courage and follow Jesus in His path of love, even in the face of opposition and misunderstandings.
Reflective questions:
Despite difficulties and opposition, do I carry on doing good?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
