Day of abstinence from meat (age 14 and up).

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Jeremiah 20:10-13

I hear many people whispering,

 “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip: “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.”

 But Yahweh, a mighty warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten.  Yahweh, God of hosts, you test the just and probe the heart and mind.

Let me see your revenge on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause.  Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh and say: he has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!

 

Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

John 10:31-42

 The Jews then picked up stones to throw at him; so Jesus said, “I have openly done many good works among you which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?”

 The Jews answered, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for insulting God; you are only a man and you make yourself God.”  Then Jesus replied, “Is this not written in your Law: I said: you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods and the Scripture is always true.

What Then should be said of the one anointed and sent into the world by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say: ‘I am the Son of God’?  If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me.

But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do, and know that the Father is in me and I in the Father.” Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had bap­tized, and there he stayed.

Many people came to Jesus, and said, “John worked no miracles, but he spoke about you, and everything he said was true. and many in that place became believers.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Truth can be hard to accept. It provokes a violent reaction to those not ready for it. Thus Jesus incurred the ire of His fellow Jews. They could not accept His teachings that run contrary to what they are used to believe.

Hence violence ensued. But Jesus could not shrink from His responsibility to proclaim the truth. At the expense of personal safety, He plodded on appealing to the unbelieving crowd to give His teachings a chance to be subjected to sound reasoning in the light of their scriptures.

But their hearts have been agitated. Feelings got in the way. There is no use talking to people whose feelings are provoked. Thus, Jesus has to walk away. It is useless talking to them. The better part of valor is to leave, when talking to one another doesn’t make it anymore.