First Reading (Isaiah 1,10-17)
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Hear the word of the Lord, magistrates of Sodom, give ear to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah. What do I care about the abundance of your sacrifices? – says the Lord. I am fed up with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I do not like the blood of bulls, lambs and goats. When you come in to present yourselves before me, who asked you to set foot in my courts? Do not continue to bring empty offerings! Incense is an abomination to me! I can’t stand the new moon, Saturday, convocation of an assembly: iniquity with a solemn meeting! Your new moons and your solemnities, I hate them! They are a burden to me, I’m tired of bearing them. When you stretch out your hands, I hide my eyes from you. Even if you multiply your prayers, I do not hear: Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves, purify yourselves. Take the evil of your actions out of my sight. Stop doing evil! Learn to do good! Seek the right, correct the oppressor. Judge the cause of the orphan, defend the widow.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 10,34-11,1)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but rather the sword. Indeed, I came to separate the son from his father, the daughter from her mother, the daughter-in-law from his mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies will be his own relatives. Whoever loves his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me. me. Whoever does not take up his cross and follows me is not worthy of me. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it. receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward. let it be just a cup of cold water, to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, truly I tell you, he will not lose his reward.” When Jesus finished giving these instructions to the twelve disciples, he left to teach and preach in their cities.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine yourself walking through a busy city. The streets are full of rushing people, the buildings stand imposingly, and the noise of traffic is deafening. Suddenly, in the midst of all this chaos, you hear a voice. It’s clear, strong and impossible to ignore. This voice cuts through the noise of the city like a sharp sword, drawing everyone to attention. This is the voice of God speaking through the prophet Isaiah, and today, that same voice echoes in our hearts.
“Hear the word of the Lord, princes of Sodom! Pay attention to the teaching of our God, people of Gomorrah!” With these fiery words, Isaiah begins his message. But why does he use such strong terms? Sodom and Gomorrah were symbols of corruption and sin in the Israelite imagination. By calling the leaders and people of Jerusalem by these names, Isaiah is issuing a shocking challenge: “You have become as corrupt as those cities that God destroyed!”
Stop for a moment and reflect: if Isaiah were speaking to our society today, what names would he use? What modern symbols of corruption and moral decay would he evoke to get our attention? Perhaps he would compare us to some oppressive regime or a greedy corporation that exploits the poor. The point is: God is speaking, and He wants our full attention.
But what exactly is bothering God so much? Isaiah continues: “What good is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? – says the Lord. I am fed up with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fatted animals; I do not like the blood of bulls, lambs and goats.”
Imagine the scene: the temple in Jerusalem, buzzing with activity. Smoke rising from the altars, priests busy offering sacrifices, faithful bringing their animals to be offered. At first glance, it appears to be a scene of great religious devotion. But God looks at all this and says, “I’ve had enough!”
How is this possible? Was it not God who had ordered these sacrifices in the first place? Yes, but something crucial was missing. External ritual had become a substitute for true devotion of the heart. People were “doing their religious duty,” but their lives did not reflect God’s love and justice.
How many times do we fall into the same trap? We go to mass every Sunday, we say our daily prayers, we even participate in church activities. But do our lives really reflect the love of Christ? Does our “religiosity” translate into compassion for the poor, justice for the oppressed, mercy for those who err?
God, through Isaiah, makes clear what He really desires: “Wash yourselves, purify yourselves. Put away the evil of your actions from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek the right , help the oppressed, give justice to the orphan, defend the cause of the widow.”
This is a call to action, my beloved ones! It is not enough to just avoid evil; we are called to actively do good. It is not enough not to oppress others; we must actively defend the oppressed. It’s not enough to simply not steal; we must generously share what we have with those in need.
And here, my brothers and sisters, we find a deep connection to Jesus’ challenging words in today’s Gospel: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I came to bring not peace, but a sword.”
At first glance, these words may shock us. After all, isn’t Jesus the “Prince of Peace”? Didn’t the angels sing “Peace on Earth” when He was born? How then can He say that He came to bring not peace but the sword?
What Jesus is telling us is that true peace – God’s peace – often conflicts with the false peace of the world. The message of the Gospel is radical. She challenges the status quo. She confronts injustice and oppression. And inevitably, this causes division.
Jesus continues: “For I have come to bring division between a man and his father, between a daughter and her mother, between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies will be his own relatives.”
These words may sound harsh, but they reflect a reality that many of us have experienced. When we decide to truly follow Christ, when we choose to live according to the values of God’s Kingdom, we often face opposition—sometimes even from our own families.
Perhaps you have experienced this when deciding to forgive someone your family still considers an enemy. Or by choosing a career of service over the lucrative profession your parents expected for you. Or when standing up for someone who is being wronged, even when it puts you in conflict with your friends or co-workers.
Following Christ has a cost. Jesus makes this clear: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
But pay attention! Jesus is not asking us to stop loving our families. He is calling us to an even greater love—a love that puts God first and that, because of that, empowers us to love our families and everyone else in a deeper, truer way.
It’s as if Jesus is telling us, “If you really want to love your family, love Me first. Because only when you experience My unconditional love can you truly love others selflessly.”
And then comes the final challenge: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” The cross, in Jesus’ time, was not a beautiful religious symbol. It was an instrument of torture and execution. When Jesus speaks of “taking up the cross,” he is calling us to be willing to face hardship, rejection, and even suffering for his sake.
But remember: the cross is not the end of the story. After the cross comes the resurrection. After suffering comes glory. Jesus promises: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
So how do we live this challenging message in our everyday lives?
First, we need to examine our lives in light of Isaiah’s words. Are we just “performing rituals” or are we truly living our faith? Do our actions reflect God’s love and justice?
Second, we need to be prepared for the conflict that comes with truly following Christ. This does not mean seeking controversy, but rather being willing to defend truth and justice, even when it costs us something.
Third, we need to reevaluate our priorities. Is Jesus really first in our lives? Are we willing to “take up our cross” – whatever it may be – and follow Him?
Finally, we need to remember that we are not alone on this journey. Jesus promises: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” When we act in the name of Christ, we take his presence with us. And He is with us always, until the end of time.
My dear brothers and sisters, God’s call through Isaiah and Jesus’ challenging words invite us to a deeper, more authentic faith. A faith that is not content with empty rituals, but that actively seeks to do good and promote justice. A faith that is willing to face opposition and difficulties for the love of Christ. A faith that puts God first and, therefore, enables us to love others more fully and truly.
May we respond to this call with courage and conviction. May our lives be a living testimony to the transforming love of Christ. And that, at the end of our journey, we can hear the sweet words of our Savior: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father! Receive as your inheritance the Kingdom that my Father has prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, today and always. Amen.
