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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To be courageous like Jesus
The Pharisees started to plot how to destroy Jesus because they had already deep-seated hatred for Him. Nothing He did or said would change their hardened hearts against Him. In the gospel passage, Jesus knew this and chose to withdraw from the district. He could have tried to justify His actions or directly confront the Pharisees. Instead, he decided to carry on loving and putting Himself at the humble service of those who needed Him. Jesus’ decision to withdraw does not mean resignation but courage and determination.
We, too, must learn to have this attitude in our own lives. Regardless of the opposition from others, we must never stop doing good. With Jesus, we courageously choose to love and do good, even in the face of opposition and misunderstandings.
Question for reflection:
Do I dare choose to reflect Jesus’ presence of love even in the face of opposition?
Do I dare choose to reflect Jesus’ presence of love even in the face of opposition?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
