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Gospel Reading for September 16, 2026 – Luke 7: 31-35
DAMN IF YOU DO; DAMN IF YOU DON’T
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.”
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People who dislike us will always have something negative to say about us. Even if we do good, it will not matter to them at all. This is exactly what the saying means: “DAMN IF YOU DO; DAMN IF YOU DON’T.”
We cannot waste our time and our lives trying to please everyone because that is impossible. What is important is how faithful we are to God and to the teachings of Jesus. Our works and the lives we live will bear witness to that. What truly matters is who we are before God.
In the Final Judgment, it will be us—not the people who dislike us—who will be answerable to God.
Lord Jesus, help us to live your teachings faithfully until our dying day. Amen.
