There shall be no poor among you
Among the main signs which Jesus quotes about his being the long expected Messiah is that he brought the Good News to the poor. The prophets of the Old Testament had said that the Savior would do this. Even in the Law it had already been said “There shall be no poor among you.” The poor were Jesus’ great concern. We are disciples of Jesus. How much do we reach out to the poor like him? How many poor are there still among us? Let us ask our Lord in this Eucharist to make us aware of the poverty around us and to make us signs of his presence to the poor.
Through his prophet, God promises that he him-self will come to set his people free. Jesus will bring this hope and joy to the poor and those who suffer.
Jesus brings God’s love to the poor and to those who suffer; in this way he fulfills what the prophet had said about the coming of God’s new world.
First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6,10
Wilderness and desert will sing joyously,
the badlands will celebrate and flower—
Like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom,
a symphony of song and color.
Mountain glories of Lebanon—a gift.
Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon—gifts.
God’s resplendent glory, fully on display.
God awesome, God majestic.
Energize the limp hands,
strengthen the rubbery knees.
Tell fearful souls,
“Courage! Take heart!
God is here, right here,
on his way to put things right
And redress all wrongs.
He’s on his way! He’ll save you!”
Blind eyes will be opened,
deaf ears unstopped,
Lame men and women will leap like deer,
the voiceless break into song.
Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness,
streams flow in the desert.
Hot sands will become a cool oasis,
thirsty ground a splashing fountain.
They’ll sing as they make their way home to Zion,
unfading halos of joy encircling their heads,
Welcomed home with gifts of joy and gladness
as all sorrows and sighs scurry into the night.
Second Reading: James 5:7-10
Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.
Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner.
Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course!
Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11
John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him.
Prayer
Lord, God of hope and joy,
you want to come among us
and to be near to us today
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Let it become visible
that he lives among us
when we are near to one another
and bring hope and justice
especially to the poor
and to those who suffer.
May people recognize in this way
that he is the one to come
and receive him with joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Video available at: bibleclaret.org
