I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord: in whatever trouble they cry to me, I will hear them and will be their God forever.

We cannot remain indifferent to the appeals of the Word of God. Either we commit to it, choosing life and freedom, or we move away from it, falling into the bonds of slavery and death. Let us not close our hearts to the Lord, who always shows his people the path to happiness and salvation. First Reading: Jeremiah 7,23-28 Reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah – Thus says the Lord: 23“I gave this command to the people, saying: Hear my voice, so I will be your God, and you will be my people; and follow along the path that I show you to be happy. 24But they did not listen and did not pay attention; On the contrary, following the evil inclinations of their hearts, they went backwards and not forwards, 25from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until today. I sent my servants the prophets to everyone, and I sent them each day, beginning very early; 26but they did not listen and did not pay attention, on the contrary: they persisted in error, doing even worse than their fathers. 27If you say all these things, they will not listen to you, and if you call them, they will not answer you. 28You will then say, ‘This is the nation that did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God and did not accept correction. His faith died, it was torn from his mouth.'” - Word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 94(95) I wish you heard the voice of the Lord today: / Do not close your hearts. 1. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, / let us acclaim the rock that saves us! / To meet him, let us walk with praises, / and with songs of joy let us celebrate him! – R. 2. Come, let us worship and prostrate ourselves to the ground, / and let us kneel before the God who created us! / Because he is our God, our shepherd, † and we are his people and his flock, / the sheep he leads with his hand. – R. 3. I wish you could hear his voice today: / “Do not close your hearts as in Meriba, / as in Massa, in the desert, that day † when your parents once provoked me, / despite having seen my works”. – R. Gospel: Luke 11,14-23 Jesus Christ, you are blessed, / you are the anointed of God the Father! Return to the Lord your God; / he is good, compassionate and forgiving (Jl 2,12s). – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, 14Jesus was casting out a demon who was mute. When the demon left, the mute man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some said, “It is by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that he casts out demons.” 16Others, to tempt Jesus, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17But knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed; and one house will fall on top of another. 18Now if even Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom survive? You say that it is through Beelzebub that I cast out demons. 19If I cast out demons through Beelzebub, through whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they themselves will be your judges. 20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come for you. 21When a strong and well-armed man guards his house, his possessions are safe. 22But when a man stronger than him arrives, he defeats him, takes away the armor in which he trusted, and divides what he stole. 23Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: By freeing a man from his muteness, Jesus provokes two types of reactions. The first is that “the crowds marveled.” The second reaction is that of some who accuse Jesus of casting out demons through the influence of the chief of the demons. They try to discredit Jesus' work, as if he were part of the world of demons. Nothing more contradictory and offensive. When it comes to showing the authenticity of his mission, Jesus leaves no room for doubt or false interpretations. He responds by saying that it is nonsense to cast out demons by the power of their boss. What Jesus accomplishes is through the “finger of God”, the Holy Spirit. Then he asks that the right choice be made: the person either sides with Jesus and the Kingdom of God, or sides with the devil, in the kingdom of injustice.

I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord: in whatever trouble they cry to me, I will hear them and will be their God forever.

We cannot remain indifferent to the appeals of the Word of God. Either we commit to it, choosing life and freedom, or we move away from it, falling into the bonds of slavery and death. Let us not close our hearts to the Lord, who always shows his people the path to happiness and salvation. First Reading: Jeremiah 7,23-28 Reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah – Thus says the Lord: 23“I gave this command to the people, saying: Hear my voice, so I will be your God, and you will be my people; and follow along the path that I show you to be happy. 24But they did not listen and did not pay attention; On the contrary, following the evil inclinations of their hearts, they went backwards and not forwards, 25from the day their fathers came out of Egypt until today. I sent my servants the prophets to everyone, and I sent them each day, beginning very early; 26but they did not listen and did not pay attention, on the contrary: they persisted in error, doing even worse than their fathers. 27If you say all these things, they will not listen to you, and if you call them, they will not answer you. 28You will then say, ‘This is the nation that did not listen to the voice of the Lord their God and did not accept correction. His faith died, it was torn from his mouth.'” - Word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 94(95) I wish you heard the voice of the Lord today: / Do not close your hearts. 1. Come, let us rejoice in the Lord, / let us acclaim the rock that saves us! / To meet him, let us walk with praises, / and with songs of joy let us celebrate him! – R. 2. Come, let us worship and prostrate ourselves to the ground, / and let us kneel before the God who created us! / Because he is our God, our shepherd, † and we are his people and his flock, / the sheep he leads with his hand. – R. 3. I wish you could hear his voice today: / “Do not close your hearts as in Meriba, / as in Massa, in the desert, that day † when your parents once provoked me, / despite having seen my works”. – R. Gospel: Luke 11,14-23 Jesus Christ, you are blessed, / you are the anointed of God the Father! Return to the Lord your God; / he is good, compassionate and forgiving (Jl 2,12s). – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – At that time, 14Jesus was casting out a demon who was mute. When the demon left, the mute man began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some said, “It is by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that he casts out demons.” 16Others, to tempt Jesus, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17But knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed; and one house will fall on top of another. 18Now if even Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom survive? You say that it is through Beelzebub that I cast out demons. 19If I cast out demons through Beelzebub, through whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they themselves will be your judges. 20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come for you. 21When a strong and well-armed man guards his house, his possessions are safe. 22But when a man stronger than him arrives, he defeats him, takes away the armor in which he trusted, and divides what he stole. 23Whoever is not with me is against me. And whoever does not gather with me scatters.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: By freeing a man from his muteness, Jesus provokes two types of reactions. The first is that “the crowds marveled.” The second reaction is that of some who accuse Jesus of casting out demons through the influence of the chief of the demons. They try to discredit Jesus' work, as if he were part of the world of demons. Nothing more contradictory and offensive. When it comes to showing the authenticity of his mission, Jesus leaves no room for doubt or false interpretations. He responds by saying that it is nonsense to cast out demons by the power of their boss. What Jesus accomplishes is through the “finger of God”, the Holy Spirit. Then he asks that the right choice be made: the person either sides with Jesus and the Kingdom of God, or sides with the devil, in the kingdom of injustice.