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| “Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees” by James Tissot, 1886-96 |
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: Galatians 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
It is I, Paul, who am telling you
that if you have yourselves circumcised,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised
that he is bound to observe the entire law.
You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;
you have fallen from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love.
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Commentary on Gal 5:1-6
St. Paul begins addressing the concept of Christian freedom with a statement saying Christians do not need to accept the yoke (slavery) of the law, specifically circumcision. His vehemence stems from his thorough understanding of Mosaic Law. He knows that circumcision, to the Jew, is akin to baptism for the Christian, and once a person has accepted circumcision, they have taken upon themselves the burden of the law ("bound to observe the entire law.” See also James 2:10).
His visceral statement, “You are separated from Christ,” provides us with a view of the emotion with which this argument is made. By accepting the sign of the Jew (circumcision), the Christian has elected a different path than the one of faith. They seek to earn Christ’s salvation through works of the law, rather than the freedom brought in Christ who removes the burden of the law from them.
CCC: Gal 5 1454; Gal 5:1 1741, 1748; Gal 5:3 578; Gal 5:6 162, 1814
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48
R. (41a) Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Let your love come to me, LORD,
salvation in accord with your promise.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Do not take the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your edicts is my hope.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
I will keep your teachings always,
for all time and forever.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
I will walk freely in an open space
because I cherish your precepts.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
I delight in your commands,
which I dearly love.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
I lift up my hands to your commands;
I study your laws, which I love.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48
Psalm 119 is a hymn in praise of the law and those who keep it. While at times, within its structure, it takes the form of an individual lament and at others a song of praise, the strophes presented in this reading emphasize its main theme: praise for the Law of Moses and those who follow it. We see this passage as ironic, given St. Paul's criticism, and the Lord's challenge to the Pharisees, that frame it today.
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Gospel: Luke 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
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Commentary on Lk 11:37-41
St. Luke regularly associates Jesus with the Pharisees. In this case, Jesus is again dining with a member of that group. The Lord is challenged for his failure to observe the strict ritual cleansing required by Pharisaic Law. In response, he chastises the Pharisees for mistaking external hygiene for purity of spirit, saying that it is more important to demonstrate spiritual purity, especially through giving alms for the poor, than acts of religiosity for the sake of appearance (see also Matthew 23 and Mark 12:38).
As in Matthew 23:26ff, the final part of this section is concerned with. “a metaphor illustrating a concern for appearances while inner purity is ignored (see also Mark 7:4).” [4] There is a strong reference here to the lack of self-control shown by these leaders.
CCC: Lk 11:37 588; Lk 11:39-54 579; Lk 11:41 2447
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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.
The poor Pharisee who invited Jesus into his home; little did he expect what he received. He invited a prominent rabbi, a teacher, into his home, and displayed his surprise when Jesus did not perform the ritualized purification of the hands before sitting down to eat (probably a late lunch).
Seeing his condescension, Jesus teaches the lesson about the importance of spiritual purity above ritual purity once more. It is an important lesson for us Catholics. We place a lot of emphasis on ritual in our worship, and the general practice of our faith discipline. It’s easy for us to fall into the trap of the Pharisee, and start judging others based upon how scrupulously they follow the rituals we think are necessary for holiness. We forget that much of what we do is based not so much on dogma as on tradition.
Of course, as in all matters of faith, there is a line we walk between rationalizing that we are not obligated to follow tradition (e.g. “After all, I am a good person and have a good relationship with God even if I don’t go to Mass.”) and becoming judgmental, for instance, without trying to understand what other things might be affecting a person who didn’t attend Mass. On the one hand, weekly Mass attendance is a precept of the Church, and required of the faithful. On the other, one who is physically or emotionally unable to attend, such as a person who has experienced a profound loss [relationship or death] so that Mass attendance is too painful, can receive absolution.
Without getting into this complex issue too deeply, let us just say that the next time we see a person not following our ritualized traditions, let us not rush to judgment lest the Lord later look at us and cry “hypocrite.” For ourselves, let us focus on that interior cleanliness that makes all other things clean.
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 image used is “Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees” by James Tissot, 1886-96.
[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] NAB footnote on Matthew 23:26.
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