Gospel (Lk 7:31-35)

“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to one another,

‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.’

“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Commentary

Despite having seen many miracles and listened to his teachings, nothing has been able to move many of the people around Jesus. They remain trapped in their own ideas, unable to recognize God’s call through people and events. “John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard.”

Jesus asks that we have a sensitive and grateful heart: “wisdom is justified by all her children.” A heart that is capable of realizing all the gifts that our Father God constantly gives us. At the same time, Jesus asks us to show the world through our joy, our gratitude, our smile, the wonder of believing in a God who loves us madly and who has done so much for us.

What can we do to be more grateful? One thing we can do is to remember those who have helped us. As the years go by we become more aware of all the people who have helped us in life. First of all, our parents, friends, priests, teachers, and a long etcetera.

And we should do the same with God. To remember all the good things we have received from Him. A point in The Forge sums up this attitude very well:

“You owe such a great debt to your Father-God! He has given you life, intelligence, will… He has given you his grace: the Holy Spirit; Jesus, in the Sacred Host; divine sonship; the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God and our Mother. He has given you the possibility of taking part in the Holy Mass; and he grants you forgiveness for your sins. He forgives you so many times! He has given you countless gifts, some of them quite extraordinary…

“Tell me, my son: how have you corresponded so far to this generosity? How are you corresponding now?” (Saint Josemaría, The Forge, no. 11)