First Reading (Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32)
Reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.
The word of the Lord came to me: What is this proverb that you have in Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, no one will ever repeat this proverb in Israel. All lives belong to me. The life of the father and the life of the son are mine. Whoever sins must die. If a man is righteous and practices what is lawful and just, and does not eat on the mountains, or look up to the idols of the house of Israel, or dishonor his neighbor’s wife, or approach a woman who is menstruating, or oppresses no one, or returns a pledge due, or robs no one, or feeds the hungry, or covers the naked with clothing, or lends no interest or interest, or holds back injustice, or judges impartially between a man and a woman, or lives by my laws and keeps my ordinances, and does them faithfully, he is righteous and will surely live, declares the Lord God. But if a man has a violent and murderous son who does any of these things, 13b because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely die. he will die; he is responsible for his own death. Therefore, I will judge each of you, O house of Israel, according to your ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that you will not have occasion to fall into sin. Turn away from all the sins you have committed. Make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God. Repent and you will live!
– The Word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Matthew 19:13-15)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, they brought little children to Jesus, so that he might place his hands on them and pray. But the disciples rebuked them. Then Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. And after placing his hands on them, Jesus left.
— The Word of the Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine a majestic tree, with deep roots and branches that stretch toward the sky. Now, imagine a tender shoot, fresh from the ground, fragile and full of promise. Both are precious in the eyes of God. This image helps us understand today’s readings, which speak to us about individual responsibility and the inestimable value of each soul in the eyes of the Creator.
In our first reading, the prophet Ezekiel presents us with a proverb that circulated among the people of Israel: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” At first glance, it may seem like an enigmatic saying, but its message is profound and challenging.
This proverb reflected a common belief that children were punished for the sins of their parents. It was a convenient way to avoid personal responsibility, to blame previous generations for all the evils that were present. How many times have we fallen into this trap? We blame our parents, our upbringing, our society for our failures and sins, forgetting our own responsibility before God.
But Ezekiel, speaking for the Lord, vehemently challenges this mindset: “As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, you shall never again use this proverb in Israel.” God is establishing a new paradigm, a new understanding of moral responsibility.
“All life belongs to me,” declares the Lord. What a powerful statement! Every life—whether that of a parent or a child, the righteous or the sinner—is equally precious in God’s eyes. Each of us is a unique masterpiece of the Creator, endowed with free will and called to a personal relationship with Him.
This divine declaration resonates through the centuries and reaches us today with renewed force. In a world that too often measures a person’s worth by their usefulness, productivity, or social status, God reminds us that every life has intrinsic and inestimable value.
But with this value comes responsibility. Ezekiel continues, “The person who sins shall die. A son shall not bear the guilt of his father, nor shall a father bear the guilt of his son.” This is a message of divine justice, but also of freedom and hope. We are not condemned by the mistakes of our ancestors, nor can we hide behind their virtues. Each of us stands before God as an individual, responsible for our own choices and actions.
Let us reflect for a moment: How have we exercised this responsibility? Have we hidden behind excuses, blaming others for our failures? Or have we courageously faced our own weaknesses, seeking the transformation that only God can work in us?
Ezekiel’s message does not end with a call to responsibility. It culminates in a passionate appeal to conversion: “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that sin will not be your ruin. Cast away all your transgressions that you have committed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit.”
What a wonderful invitation! God does not desire our condemnation, but our transformation. He calls us not only to turn away from sin, but to create “a new heart and a new spirit.” This is not a work we can do in our own strength. It is an act of cooperation with divine grace, an ongoing process of allowing the Holy Spirit to mold and remake us into the image of Christ.
And here is where our Gospel reading beautifully intertwines with the message of Ezekiel. Matthew tells us that “they brought little children to Jesus, that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them.” What a touching scene! Imagine the fathers and mothers, full of hope and love, bringing their little ones to the Master.
But the disciples, perhaps thinking they were protecting Jesus from an inconvenient interruption, rebuked these people. How easy it is for us, like the disciples, to judge who is worthy and who is not to approach Jesus! How often we create barriers, consciously or unconsciously, preventing others from experiencing the love of Christ!
Jesus’ response is immediate and unequivocal: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of heaven.” In these words we see the heart of the heavenly Father revealed. Every child—every life—is precious in His eyes. There is no one too small, too weak, or too insignificant to receive His love and blessing.
This passage challenges us on several levels. First, he calls us to have a Christlike heart, welcoming and inclusive. We are called to be facilitators, not obstacles, for others to encounter Jesus. In our families, in our communities, in our workplaces, how can we create spaces where people feel welcome to draw near to God?
Second, Jesus invites us to become like children. Not in immaturity or naivety, but in simple trust and total dependence on God. Children teach us to live in the present, to trust without reservation, to forgive quickly, to love unconditionally. How can we cultivate these qualities in our spiritual lives?
Finally, Jesus’ words remind us of the priceless value of every life in the eyes of God. In a society that often marginalizes the vulnerable—whether children, the elderly, the poor, or the sick—we are called to be a voice for the voiceless, to defend the dignity of every person created in God’s image.
Dear brothers and sisters, today’s readings present us with both a challenge and a promise. The challenge of taking responsibility for our own spiritual lives, of continually converting ourselves, creating within ourselves “a new heart and a new spirit.” And the promise of God’s unconditional love, which welcomes us as a loving father welcomes his children.
May we, like the majestic tree in our initial image, deepen our roots in God’s love, spreading our branches to welcome and bless others. And may we, at the same time, maintain the simplicity and trust of the tender bud, always open to the growth and transformation that God wants to work in us.
May the Lord, who knows each of us by name and loves us with an everlasting love, bless us and keep us. May He make His face shine upon us and give us His peace. Today and always. Amen.
