"STRANGE, THEN, IS THE BLINDNESS OF THE INTELLECT,

WHICH DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT WHICH IT SEES FIRST

AND WITHOUT WHICH IT CAN KNOW NOTHING.'

                                            - Saint Bonaventure

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊      

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16

Woe to Assyria,

The rod of my anger, the staff of my fury! Against a godless nation I send him,

against a people who provoke my wrath

I dispatch him to plunder and pillage, to tread them down like mud in the streets.

But the mind of his king is far from this, his heart harbors other thoughts;

what he wants is to destroy, to make an end of all nations.

"By my own strength I have done this and by my own wisdom, for I am clever.

I have moved the frontiers of people, I have plundered treasures,

I have brought inhabitants down to the dust,

I have toppled kings from their thrones.

 

As one reaches into a nest, so my hands have reached into nations' wealth.

As one gathers deserted eggs, so have I gathered the riches of the earth.

No one flapped a wing or opened its mouth to chirp a protest."

Does the ax claim more credit than the man who wields it?

Does the saw magnify itself more than the one who uses it?

This would be like a rod wielding the man who lifts it up;

will those not made of wood, be controlled by the cudgel?

This is why Yahweh Sabaoth is ready to

send a wasting sickness upon the king's sturdy warriors.

Beneath his plenty, a flame will burn like a consuming fire.

 

Ps 94:5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 14-15 

The Lord will not abandon his people.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 11:25-27

On that occasion, Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you;

because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned,

and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this was your gracious will.

Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father.

No one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son,

and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

We are God's children.

A beautiful song titled "The Eyes of a Child" captures the essence of innocence.

The lyrics say, "In the eyes of the child, there is joy, and laughter, a chance to see the future."

These words remind us of children's pure, untainted perspective,

where the world is filled with mystery and hope.

It's heartwarming how deeply children trust their parents' protection and love.

Jesus seeks to teach his disciples this childlike quality.

 

He wishes them to embrace a sense of trust and openness to life, much like a child's wonder.

Reflecting on this, we recognize that we are all regarded as God's children.

Throughout our faith journey, we share a profound bond with Christ, with God as our loving Father.

Like any nurturing family, we are invited to trust in God's will for our lives.

It's reassuring to know that what God desires for us is rooted in love and always aimed at our greater good.