Tuesday of the Twenty-First Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 426
Lectionary: 426
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.
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.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 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.
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.
AlleluiaHEB 4:12
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 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.”
“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.”
Meditation: Do not neglect justice, mercy and
faith
Do you allow any
blind-spots to blur your vision of God's kingdom and his ways? Jesus went to
the heart of the matter when he called the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees
andhypocrites! A hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing
but does the opposite or who puts on an outward appearance of doing good while
inwardly clinging to wrong attitudes, selfish desires and ambitions, or bad
intentions. Many scribes and Pharisees had made it a regular practice to
publicly put on a good show of outward zeal and piety with the intention of
winning greater honors, privileges, and favors among the people. Jesus had a
very good reason for severely rebuking the scribes and Pharisees, the religious
teachers and leaders, for misleading people and neglecting the heart and
essence of God's law - love of God and love of neighbor
What forms our outward
practices and habits?
The scribes in particular devoted their whole lives to the study of God's law contained in the five books of Moses (Torah). As the religious experts of their day, they took great pride in their knowledge and outward observance of the commandments and precepts of the law of Moses. They further divided the 613 precepts of the Law of Moses into thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out, that they had little time for much else. By the time they finished compiling their interpretations it took no less than fifty volumes to contain them! Jesus chastised them for neglecting the more important matters of religion, such as justice and the love of God. In their misguided zeal they had lost sight of God and of his purpose for the law.
The scribes in particular devoted their whole lives to the study of God's law contained in the five books of Moses (Torah). As the religious experts of their day, they took great pride in their knowledge and outward observance of the commandments and precepts of the law of Moses. They further divided the 613 precepts of the Law of Moses into thousands of tiny rules and regulations. They were so exacting in their interpretations and in trying to live them out, that they had little time for much else. By the time they finished compiling their interpretations it took no less than fifty volumes to contain them! Jesus chastised them for neglecting the more important matters of religion, such as justice and the love of God. In their misguided zeal they had lost sight of God and of his purpose for the law.
God's law of love reveals
what is truly important and necessary
Jesus used the example of tithing to show how far they had missed the mark. God had commanded a tithe of the first fruits of one's labor as an expression of thanksgiving and honor for his providential care for his people (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30). The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy. They were very attentive to minute matters of little importance, but they neglected to care for the needy and the weak. Jesus admonished them because their hearts were not right. They were filled with pride and contempt for others who were not like themselves. They put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting to show charity, especially to the weak and the poor.
Jesus used the example of tithing to show how far they had missed the mark. God had commanded a tithe of the first fruits of one's labor as an expression of thanksgiving and honor for his providential care for his people (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30). The scribes, however, went to extreme lengths to tithe on insignificant things (such as tiny plants) with great mathematical accuracy. They were very attentive to minute matters of little importance, but they neglected to care for the needy and the weak. Jesus admonished them because their hearts were not right. They were filled with pride and contempt for others who were not like themselves. They put unnecessary burdens on others while neglecting to show charity, especially to the weak and the poor.
The scribes and
Pharisees meticulously went through the outward observance of their religious
duties and practices while forgetting the realities of God's intention and
purpose for the law - his love and righteousness (justice and goodness). Jesus
used a humorous example to show how out of proportion matters had gotten with
them. Gnats were considered the smallest of insects and camels were considered
the largest of animals in Palestine. Both were considered ritually impure. The
scribes went to great lengths to avoid contact with gnats, even to the point of
straining the wine cup with a fine cloth lest they accidentally swallowed a
gnat. The stark contrast must have drawn chuckles as well as groans.
God's love shapes our
minds and transforms our hearts and actions
What was the point of Jesus' humorous and important lesson? The essence of God's commandments is rooted in love – love of God and love of neighbor, righteousness (justice and goodness), and mercy. God is love and everything he does, including his justice and goodness, flows from his love for us. True love is costly and sacrificial - it both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Do you allow the love of God to shape and transform the way you live your daily life - including the way you think of others, speak of them, and treat them?
What was the point of Jesus' humorous and important lesson? The essence of God's commandments is rooted in love – love of God and love of neighbor, righteousness (justice and goodness), and mercy. God is love and everything he does, including his justice and goodness, flows from his love for us. True love is costly and sacrificial - it both embraces and lifts the burdens of others. Do you allow the love of God to shape and transform the way you live your daily life - including the way you think of others, speak of them, and treat them?
"Lord Jesus, fill
me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others
with fairness, loving-kindness, patience, and goodness."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: Neglecting Weighty Matters of Love and
Justice, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"Not only among the
Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They
are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion
even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting
to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that
very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the
scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe
touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as
those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense
interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very
depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but
are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in
conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls
- faith and love - unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and
flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments
and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected
while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in
and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion
and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole.
When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for
worship, we fail altogether." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON
MATTHEW 19-20)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 23,
MATTHEW 23:23-26
Weekday
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17; Psalm 96)
Weekday
(2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17; Psalm 96)
KEY VERSE: "Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!" (v 24)
TO KNOW: Jesus lamented the false standards of the scribes and Pharisees who scrupulously adhered to the letter of the law while refusing to obey its spirit. The Mosaic Law commanded that a tithe be paid on the important crops of corn, oil and wine in gratitude for God's blessings (Dt 14:22-23). The religious leaders applied the law to the smallest garden herb. They took great pains with matters that had little importance (a "gnat") while neglecting justice, mercy and fidelity, the law's weightier purpose (a "camel"). Jesus condemned their preoccupation with external purification rituals while ignoring inner holiness. Because they were blind and corrupt, they could not lead others to faith.
TO LOVE: Am I concerned more with my outer appearance than with inner holiness?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, cleanse me of all unrighteousness.
Optional Memorial of
Saint Rose of Lima, virgin
Rose was born in Peru to Spanish immigrants to the New World. Her real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry as she was devoted to her vow of chastity. Rose was a mystic, visionary, and received an invisible stigmata. She had many temptations and there were times when she suffered loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to God. Many miracles followed her death. She was a lay member of the Dominican Order, and was canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first person born in the Americas to be so honored by the Catholic Church. Rose of Lima is the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines and is represented wearing a crown of roses.
Tuesday 23 August 2016
Tue
23rd. St Rose of Lima.
2
Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17. The Lord comes to judge the earth—Ps 95(96):10-13. Matthew 23:23-26.
Today
there is great emphasis on appearance, the image being more important than the
reality. How often are we annoyed, embarrassed or amused at people who put on a
false front? Jesus was deeply disappointed (and angry) with the scribes and
Pharisees who were given the task of leading God's people, yet made so many
extra petty laws it became impossible for ordinary folk to live up to them all.
They were more concerned with appearing good, than being good; their outward
observances were all for show. Jesus confronts them with cleaning the outside
and neglecting the inner life. The psalmist reminds us that God wants mercy and
a sound heart, not sacrifice. In this Year of Mercy, maybe I can talk the talk,
but can I walk the walk? Does my outer-self hide a hollow soul? How authentic
are my Gospel values? Lord Jesus, you ask the hard questions.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Keep Your Peace
|
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole worlds
seems upset.
–St. Francis de Sales
–St. Francis de Sales
August
23
St. Rose of Lima
(1586-1617)
St. Rose of Lima
(1586-1617)
The first canonized saint of the New World
has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another
characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive
practice of mortification.
She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima,
Peru, at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization.
She seems to have taken Catherine of Siena (April 29) as a model, in spite of
the objections and ridicule of parents and friends.
The saints have so great a love of God that what seems
bizarre to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying
out of a conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship
with God must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose
used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she
wore a thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown
of thorns.
When her parents fell into financial trouble, she
worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against
her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her
enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and
solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. So deep was her
desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in
solitude.
During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a
room in the house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly and the
sick. This was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life
and activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who
could only say that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was
transfigured from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should
also remember the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it
withstood ridicule from without, violent temptation and lengthy periods of
sickness. When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent
men took turns carrying her coffin.
Comment:
It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets, fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?
It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets, fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?
Quote:
“If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna” (Matthew 18:8–9).
“If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna” (Matthew 18:8–9).
Patron Saint of:
Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 23,23-26
Lectio Divina:
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 23,23-26
Jesus said: 'Alas for you, scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and
have neglected the weightier matters of the Law-justice, mercy, good faith!
These you should have practised, those not neglected. You blind guides,
straining out gnats and swallowing camels!
'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that it and the outside are both clean.
'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that it and the outside are both clean.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents two other
times that this expression was used: ‘Alas for you...’ when Jesus speaks
against the religious leaders of his time. The two ‘Alas for you...’ of today
denounce the lack of coherence between word and attitude, between exterior and
interior. Today we continue our reflection which we begun yesterday.
• Matthew 23, 23-24: The fifth ‘Alas for you...’ against those who insist on the observance and forget mercy. You pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy and fidelity”. This fifth ‘Alas for you...’ of Jesus is against the religious leaders of that time and can be repeated against many religious of the following century even up to our time. Many times, in the name of Jesus, we insist on details and we forget mercy. For example, Jansenism reduces lived faith to something arid, insisting on the observance and penance which led people away from the way of love. The Carmelite Sister Teresa of Lisieux grew in the Jansenism environment which marked France at the end of the XIX century. Beginning from a personal painful experience, she knew how to recover the gratuity of love of God, a force which should animate the observance of the norms from within; because without love, the observance makes an idol of God.
• Matthew 23, 25-26: The sixth ‘Alas for you...’ against those who clean things on the outside and are dirty inside. “You clean the outside of the cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. In the Sermon on the Mountain, Jesus criticises those who observe the letter of the Law and transgress the spirit of the Law. He says: "You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill, and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say to you anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court. Anyone who calls his brother ‘Fool’ will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him ‘Traitor’ will answer for it in hell fire. You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery, but I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5, 21-22. 27-28). It is not sufficient to observe the letter of the Law. It is not sufficient not to kill, not to rob, not to commit adultery, not to swear in order to be faithful to what God asks of us. The one who observes fully the Law of God is the one who, besides observing the letter, goes deeply to the root and pulls out from within “the desires of extortion and intemperance” which may lead to murder, theft, and adultery. The fullness of the law is realized in the practice of love.
• Matthew 23, 23-24: The fifth ‘Alas for you...’ against those who insist on the observance and forget mercy. You pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy and fidelity”. This fifth ‘Alas for you...’ of Jesus is against the religious leaders of that time and can be repeated against many religious of the following century even up to our time. Many times, in the name of Jesus, we insist on details and we forget mercy. For example, Jansenism reduces lived faith to something arid, insisting on the observance and penance which led people away from the way of love. The Carmelite Sister Teresa of Lisieux grew in the Jansenism environment which marked France at the end of the XIX century. Beginning from a personal painful experience, she knew how to recover the gratuity of love of God, a force which should animate the observance of the norms from within; because without love, the observance makes an idol of God.
• Matthew 23, 25-26: The sixth ‘Alas for you...’ against those who clean things on the outside and are dirty inside. “You clean the outside of the cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. In the Sermon on the Mountain, Jesus criticises those who observe the letter of the Law and transgress the spirit of the Law. He says: "You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill, and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say to you anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court. Anyone who calls his brother ‘Fool’ will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him ‘Traitor’ will answer for it in hell fire. You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery, but I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5, 21-22. 27-28). It is not sufficient to observe the letter of the Law. It is not sufficient not to kill, not to rob, not to commit adultery, not to swear in order to be faithful to what God asks of us. The one who observes fully the Law of God is the one who, besides observing the letter, goes deeply to the root and pulls out from within “the desires of extortion and intemperance” which may lead to murder, theft, and adultery. The fullness of the law is realized in the practice of love.
4) Personal questions
• There are two expressions of ‘Alas for
you...’ two reasons to receive the criticism from Jesus. Which of these two
applies to me?
• Observance and gratuity: Which of these applies to me?
• Observance and gratuity: Which of these applies to me?
5) Concluding Prayer
Proclaim God’s salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Ps 96,2-3)
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people! (Ps 96,2-3)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét