First Reading: (Jeremiah 26:1-9)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 69)
Response:
In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: (Matthew 13:54-58)
Reflection:
One of my favorites gospels for the day. As humans, one of our greatest struggles is our difficulty in accepting the truth. Many times, we do not reject something because it is false; we reject it because it exposes something within us that we do not want to confront.
The truth can be painful. It reveals our weaknesses, our mistakes, our pride, and our sins. Because of this, the person who brings us the truth often becomes our enemy.
Instead of asking, “Is what this person is saying true?” we often ask, “Who is this person to tell me this?”
We attack the messenger instead of examining the message.
A friend may lovingly correct us, but instead of appreciating their honesty, we become angry. A person in authority may receive constructive criticism from a subordinate, but instead of reflecting on it, they may use their position to silence or punish the person who spoke. "You are fired"
This is exactly what happened to the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading.
Jeremiah was sent by God to warn the people of Judah that their sinful ways would lead to destruction. He courageously spoke the truth, telling them that if they refused to return to God, their city and temple would suffer.
But instead of accepting the warning and changing their ways, the people attacked Jeremiah.
They said:
“You shall die!”
They did not ask whether Jeremiah’s words were true. They focused only on the person delivering the message. The messenger must die.
The same thing happened in today’s Gospel.
The people of Jesus’ hometown refused to accept His wisdom because they knew His background.
They said:
“Is this not the carpenter’s son?”
They judged Jesus by His family, His social status, and His humble origins. Because they could not accept the messenger, they rejected the truth He brought.
But truth does not depend on who speaks it.
Truth remains truth whether it comes from someone powerful or someone humble, someone famous or someone unknown.
When someone corrects us, we should have the humility to ask:
“Is this true?”
“Is there something I need to change?”
“Is God speaking to me through this person?”
The moment we begin searching for the person who delivered the message instead of examining the message itself, we may be avoiding the truth.
My friends, let us pray for the grace to love truth more than our pride. Let us not reject correction because of the person who brings it. Instead, let us have humble hearts willing to repent, grow, and change.
May we always seek the truth, because Christ Himself said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
(John 14:6)
Amen.
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