(Optional Memorial for Saint Louis of France) or
(Optional Memorial for Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest)
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| “Pharisees Question Jesus” by James Tissot, c. 1890 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17
We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no one deceive you in any way.
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them
in every good deed and word.
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Commentary on 2 Thes 2:1-3a, 14-17
CCC: 2 Thes 2:3-12 673
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13
R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the Lord, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
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Commentary on Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13
Psalm 96 is a hymn of praise to the one true God. The psalmist invites all people to come to faith and believe in God who created all things, and is above all things. He exhorts the people to praise the Lord for his wondrous works of creation. The reason for this exhortation is that God will come to rule the earth with his justice. In this passage we see the forerunner of the understanding of the New Jerusalem – the Heavenly Kingdom.
“What does this justice and fidelity mean? On the day of Judgment, he will gather his chosen ones to himself and send the rest away, he will place some to his right hand and others to his left. It is only right and fair that those who show no mercy before the coming of the judge should not then hope for mercy from him. Whereas those who struggle to be merciful towards others will be judged with mercy.” (St Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, 95, 15) [4]
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Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin,
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.”
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Commentary on Mt 23:23-26
This reading from Matthew continues the dialogue of the “seven woes.” In this selection we hear how the Pharisees have extended the law of tithing down to the smallest of crops, herbs. The implication is they are lost in the minutiae of the Law, and have forgotten larger faith issues. The same reference is made when he says: “Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!”
The final part of this section is concerned with “a metaphor illustrating a concern for appearances while inner purity is ignored.” [5] (See also Mark 7:4.) There is a strong reference here to the lack of self-control shown by these leaders.
“The Pharisaical inversion of the divine scale of values, and the blindness of heart that fuels such an inversion, is captured by Jesus in a hilarious image: ‘Blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!’ The aromatic herbs, on the one hand and the soul’s virtues, on the other, represented the two qualitative extremes of the created world, material and spiritual.” [6]
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Reflection:
Heavenly Father, we humbly pray that those suffering from the coronavirus be returned quickly to full health by the power of your Son’s healing presence, and those in fear be calmed through the Holy Spirit.
In Christ’s name we pray. – Amen.
“But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!”
Like so many little gems in scripture this one lesson is offered today. It is a reminder that we must not become so focused on one element of our faith that we lose sight of the need for a holistic view.
In 1984, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin published a document on “A Consistent Ethic of Life.” He referred to this ethic as a “seamless garment” in biblical reference to Jesus “seamless garment” for which the guards cast lots at his crucifixion (see Psalm 22:19 and Matthew 27:35). Putting it simply, the cardinal stated that for us to authentically follow the teaching of the Church on the dignity of human life, we must support life’s dignity at all stages, and under all circumstances.
A short time later (almost 30 years now), at a fairly conservative parish, I delivered a pro-life homily, in which I summarized the Cardinal’s teaching. In that homily, I said that, if one is pro-life and opposed to abortion, one must also be pro-life and reject capital punishment.
To my great surprise I was almost physically accosted by members of the Respect Life Committee following one of the Masses. They asked me if I was trying to destroy their ministry by forcing people to link their objection to abortion with objection to capital punishment. When I tried to explain, they would have none of it. They had their ideas about the greatest evil in the world, and nothing anyone said was going to change their minds.
I use this anecdote to illustrate the point made today in the Gospel. These people were so focused on one narrow aspect of an issue that they had overlooked the bigger issue, and fundamental tenet of our faith, love one another. They were not willing to expand their respect for life to include those who had committed grave sins against society, and had resorted to straining gnats while swallowing camels.
The Lord calls us to view our faith lives holistically. We apply the fundamental principles to our lives in all circumstances, not just those that are convenient. While we all have special interests within the faith, we must never focus on them to the exclusion of all others. We should never focus on the minutiae and ignore the huge issues confronting us.
In this strange year where many of us will not be able to receive the Blessed Sacrament or celebrate as a community in our houses of worship, we must be prepared to receive spiritual communion in prayer:
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “Pharisees Question Jesus” by James Tissot, c. 1890.
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Psalms,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 324.
[5] NAB footnote on Matthew 23:25-26.
[6] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012 p. 636.
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