Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: September 17, 2025

Date: Wednesday of the 24^th Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text:  Luke 7:31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:

"To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.

We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel reading today brings us one of the more challenging sayings of Jesus. Jesus is telling us that we are very clever at coming up with reasons for not believing, for not turning to the LORD, for being critical of others whom the LORD uses to win our minds and hearts.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Am I open to the LORD’s calling to me? Does my criticism of the prophets around me help me to rationalize my failure to “return to the LORD”?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, we lift our voices in praise and our hearts in thanksgiving to You as we take in all You have created including us. We ask that You send the Spirit to tenderize our minds and hearts so we are more open to your transformative love best expressed in the gift of your only begotten Son as our Savior. Grant that we may receive sincerely and lovingly Christ’s gift to us upon the cross as He selflessly sacrificed his life for ours. Guard us from spiritual lethargy and modern skepticism and gift us with fervent faith, resilient hope, and your transformative love. We ask this in the name of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.