Have mercy on me, Lord, I cry out to you all day long; Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to those who call upon you

 First Reading: 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Reading of the first letter from Saint Paul to Timothy – Dearly beloved, 14I am writing with the hope of coming to see you soon. 15But if you delay, I want you to know how to proceed in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16There can be no doubt that the mystery of godliness is great: it was manifested in the flesh, it was justified in the spirit, it was seen by angels, it was preached to the nations, it was believed in the world, it was exalted in glory! - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 110(111)

Great are the works of the Lord!

1. I thank God with all my heart, / together with all his righteous people gathered together! / How great are the works of the Lord, / they deserve all the love and admiration! – R.

2. What beauty and splendor are your deeds! / His righteousness endures forever! / The good and merciful Lord left us / the memory of his great wonders. – R.

3. He gives food to those who fear him / and will never forget his Covenant. / To his people he manifests his power, / giving them the inheritance of the nations. – R.

Gospel: Luke 7,31-35

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Lord, your words are spirit, they are life; / only you have words of eternal life (John 6,63.68). – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, Jesus said: 31 “With whom should I compare the men of this generation? Who do they look like? 32They are like children who sit in the squares, addressing their colleagues, saying: ‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we lamented and you did not cry!’ 33For John the Baptist came, who neither ate bread nor drank wine, and you said, ‘He has a demon!’ 34The Son of Man came, who eats and drinks, and you say, ‘He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35But wisdom was justified by all her children.” – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

Jesus makes an outburst. His regret falls on the leaders of the people, including religious authorities, who look for excuses, instead of opening themselves up to God's plan. They were not willing to change their lives in the face of the Baptist's severe appeals, whom they branded crazy. Now they are not willing to convert, given Jesus' words of mercy and his great wonders. They even call him “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” They are like capricious children: nothing can arouse their interest. Not everything, however, is lost: many disciples of Wisdom (“children”), who were those despised by religious authorities, that is, the simple people and sinners, were intelligent, accepting the conversion announced by John and the commitment to Jesus .