Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,
and have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity.
But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for Jackie Stanislaus RIP.
Reflection:
Yesterday, we read how Jesus praised Nathanael (or Bartholomew) for being an honest person. Nathanael’s love for the truth made him a staunch follower of Jesus even to the point of a horrible death. Today, we read the Lord criticizing the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. They were like a cup and dish that are clean on the outside but are “full of plunder and self-indulgence” inside.
Tithing has been commanded by God during the Old Testament. The idea behind this is for people to acknowledge that everything they own belongs to God. Unfortunately, people like the scribes and Pharisees have given more emphasis on the letter of this law (“You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin”) rather than the spirit of this law (“judgment and mercy and fidelity”). In spite having “taken their seat on the chair of Moses”, the scribes and Pharisees have not gone beyond the formalism of religion. They have not understood clearly what matters in the eyes of God: purity of heart.
• Is there some area in my life which I do not acknowledge God’s power in my life?
• How often do I try to please God in the wrong way, by supposing I am doing His will when really, I am only doing my own will instead?
• When was the last time I checked that the intentions behind my actions are holy?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. Purify our heart that it may only seek what is pleasing to You. Help us get rid of whatever holds us back from being Your true follower. Amen.
Fraternally,
Pietro
