Monday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious
Gospel – Matthew 17:22-27
“However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you”. This is one of the passages where we can find how much Jesus is sensitive to the feelings of others. He announced that He is going to be put to death. Jesus is going to deliver himself on the cross, but He is sensitive to pay the tax. And He wants that Peter pays that. When we want to imitate Jesus, this sensitivity of Jesus is very much to follow. Whenever we are doing some sacrifice, we lose our sensitivity. Everyone around us must be attentive to the sacrifice we make. Look, how much I suffer! Look, how much I sacrifice! And in these moments, we forget about others around: their concerns and their questions. Jesus is aware about the question of the tax collectors and is sensitive to their concern even though it should not be His concern as He is going to offer His life for the salvation of the world. Our sacrifices must not shut down our sensitivity, but it should be the manifestation of our sensitivity. Let’s reflect: Do my sacrifices shut down my sensitivity towards the questions and concerns of others?
Don Giorgio