Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 16 July 2024
Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time – Tuesday
Isaiah 7:1-9. Matthew 11:20-24
Response to the message
Last month, at Acton University, one of the key themes discussed was ‘something for something.’ According to a speaker here only this principle – ‘something for something’ – would end poverty. In other words, ‘not charity, but wealth creation resolves poverty.’ For example, when I eat at a restaurant, I pay Rs. 100 against the bill. Here, I have given ‘something’ (Rs. 100) for ‘something’ (food). When I come out of the hotel, I see a poor person begging, to whom I give Rs. 100. Here, I have given ‘something’ (Rs. 100) for ‘nothing’ (no action was done from his side; no goods or services were sold by him).
‘Something for nothing’ happens in four areas: in charitable works, extractive behaviours, corruption, and robbery or theft.
In the gospel reading, Jesus curses the cities that did not repent. The cities heard the message of Jesus, but did not respond. In other words, they responded with ‘nothing for something.’
Jesus curses Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capharnaum. Of these three, Chorazine and Bethsaida were ‘indifferent’ to the message of Jesus, while Capharnaum had ‘no priority.’ Thus, indifference and bad priorities are the hurdles to our response to the message.
Jesus compares these cities to Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. These cities were considered ‘cursed’ in the Old Testament.
Three lessons for us:
(a) Conversion is the response to the message. In other words, ‘something’ (‘conversion’) for ‘something’ (message) is what Jesus expects from us.
(b) The indifference to spiritual life is dangerous.
(c) The bad priority of Capharnaum was to reach up to the sky. Bad priorities lead to bad results.
The first reading is situated in the context of the ‘Syro-Ephramite War’. Ahaz, the King of Judah, loses his peace of mind due to fear. That leads him to hasty decisions. The Lord God asks him to wait. Further, he exhorts the people to remain in faith.
The people who experience the Lord’s presence must respond with a corresponding conversion.
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The pilgrims of hope respond to the message with their conversion of heart – something for something (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 149).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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