FIRST READING
“I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. ”
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 11:18-20)
The Lord made it known to me and I knew; then you did show me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” But, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who test the heart and the mind, let rue see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 7:2-3.9bc-10.11-12 (R. 2a)
R/. O Lord, my God, I take refuge in you.
O Lord, my God, I take refuge in you.
Save and rescue me from all my pursuers,
lest they tear me apart like a lion,
and drag me off with no one to rescue me. R.
Give judgement for me, O Lord,
for I am just and blameless of heart.
Put an end to the evil of the wicked!
Make the just man stand firm;
it is you who test mind and heart,
O God of justice! R.
God is a shield before me,
who saves the upright of heart.
God is a judge, just and powerful and patient,
not exercising anger every day. R.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Luke 8: 15
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. Blessed are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
GOSPEL
“Is the Christ to come from Galilee?”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 7: 40-53)
At that time: When they heard the words of Jesus, some of the people said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of thy Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They re- plied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” They went each to his own house.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
The invitation of Jesus to the thirsty to come and drink from the living waters that he will give leads to the discussion among the people. While those who come on hearing this invitation regard Jesus as “the prophet”, others explicitly call him the Messiah. Still others question whether Jesus could really be the Messiah because of the popular belief that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.
Jesus will always remain bigger than anything that we can ever imagine. He cannot be captured by the concepts, words or images. Yet, we can know him as intimately as we want to as he reveals himself to each of us according to the level of openness we possess. Do you know that God will reveal himself to you in ways you never imagined? Will you find him in everything that happens today?