Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 425
Lectionary: 425
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A
AND 9B
R. (see 4a) The
Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia!
R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 23:13-22
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it."
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it."
Meditation: Do
not close the door to God's kingdom
When the Lord Jesus knocks on the door of your heart
are you ready to answer and receive him (Revelations 3:20)? The Lord offers
each one of us an open door to the kingdom of God, but we can shut ourselves
out if we ignore or reject his offer. What is the door to the kingdom of
heaven? When Jacob fled from his brother Essau, who wanted to kill him for
stealing his birthright (Genesis 27:41), Jacob sought refuge in the wilderness.
There God pursued him and gave him a vision that both changed his life and the
life of his people. As Jacob slept on a star-lit hillside God showed him a
great ladder or stairway that extended from earth to heaven. This stairway was
filled with a multitude of angels ascending and descending before the throne of
God.
An open door to the throne of God
God opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to Jacob and his descendants. God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When Jacob awoke he exclaimed: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God.
God opened heaven to Jacob, not only to give him a place of refuge and peace, but to offer him the blessing of dwelling in intimate friendship with the living God. God spoke to Jacob and renewed the promises which he had made to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and now to Jacob and his descendants. God promised not only to bless and protect Jacob, but to make him and his descendants a blessing to all the nations as well. When Jacob awoke he exclaimed: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17). God opened a door for Jacob that brought him and his people into a new relationship with the living God.
Jesus is the door to God's kingdom
Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that he came to fulfill the prophetic dream of Jacob in his very own person: "You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God's very throne. But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God's kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woe expresses sorrowful pity as well as grief and sadness.Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke?
Jesus proclaimed to his disciples that he came to fulfill the prophetic dream of Jacob in his very own person: "You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51). Jesus proclaimed that he is the door (John 10:8-9) and the way (John 14:6) that makes it possible for us to access heaven and God's very throne. But Jesus woefully warned the religious leaders and successors of Jacob that they were shutting the door of God's kingdom not only on themselves but on others as well. The word woe expresses sorrowful pity as well as grief and sadness.Why did Jesus lament and issue such a stern rebuke?
Don't be misled by wrong-headed teachers
Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God. They were blindly leading people to "pharisaism"- to their own ideas, rules, and practices which God did not intend or require - rather than to God's intention and way of life for his people. Jesus also chastised them for their hyprocisy - a hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite. Jesus gave some examples to show how misguided they were in their thinking and practices.
Jesus was angry with the religious leaders because they failed to listen to God's word and they misled the people they were supposed to teach and lead in the ways of God. They were blindly leading people to "pharisaism"- to their own ideas, rules, and practices which God did not intend or require - rather than to God's intention and way of life for his people. Jesus also chastised them for their hyprocisy - a hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite. Jesus gave some examples to show how misguided they were in their thinking and practices.
In their zeal to win converts, the religious leaders
required unnecessary and burdensome rules and practices which obscured the more
important matters of religion, such as love of God and love of neighbor.
And at the same time they made exceptions for themselves by devising clever
ways to evade binding oaths and solemn promises which they had made to God. The
Jews treated an oath made to God as a binding obligation that must not be
broken under any circumstance, but the Pharisees found clever ways to evade
their obligations when inconvenience got in the way. They forgot that God hears
every word we utter (especially our oaths and promises) and he sees the
intentions of our heart even before we speak or act.
God's ways and thoughts are different from ours
The scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God's idea. They failed to lead others to God because they listened to their own ideas of what is true religion and they failed to understand the true meaning and intention of God's word. Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to the truth of God's kingdom.
The scribes and Pharisees preferred their idea of religion to God's idea. They failed to lead others to God because they listened to their own ideas of what is true religion and they failed to understand the true meaning and intention of God's word. Through their own pride and prejudice they blindly shut the door of their own hearts and minds to the truth of God's kingdom.
The prophets of the Old Testament had repeatedly
warned God's people to seek the Lord and to put aside their own thoughts and
ideas of religion in order to hear and understand God's mind and intentions for
his people. The prophet Isaiah wrote,
"Seek
the Lord while he may be
found, call upon him while he is
near; let the wicked forsake his
way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts... For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts" (Isaiah 55:6-9).
Seek God's kingdom first
How can we shut the door of God's kingdom in our own personal lives? We close it through stubborn pride, disobedience, and ignorance. Do you submit your mind to God's word or do you cling to your own thoughts and ideas of what is right, true, and good for you? Do you allow the world's way of thinking to form the way you think, act, and speak - or do you allow God's word of truth to form the way you think, act, and speak? Do you ignore God's word through indifference or lack of reflection on his word?
The Lord Jesus wants to speak to us each and every day - to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of his love and truth. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart - are you receptive and ready to listen to his voice as he speaks through his life-giving Word? God's kingdom is always present to those who seek him with a humble mind and a willing heart. The Lord invites us to pray daily, "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
How can we shut the door of God's kingdom in our own personal lives? We close it through stubborn pride, disobedience, and ignorance. Do you submit your mind to God's word or do you cling to your own thoughts and ideas of what is right, true, and good for you? Do you allow the world's way of thinking to form the way you think, act, and speak - or do you allow God's word of truth to form the way you think, act, and speak? Do you ignore God's word through indifference or lack of reflection on his word?
The Lord Jesus wants to speak to us each and every day - to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of his love and truth. The Lord is knocking at the door of your heart - are you receptive and ready to listen to his voice as he speaks through his life-giving Word? God's kingdom is always present to those who seek him with a humble mind and a willing heart. The Lord invites us to pray daily, "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
"Lord Jesus, your word is life for me. May I
never shut the door to your heavenly kingdom through my stubborn pride or
disbelief. Help me to listen to your voice attentively and to conform my life
more fully to your word."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Shutting the Kingdom of Heaven, by
Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"There are those who dare to say that God is not
good because of the curses in his law that he places against their sin. And yet
the one who is truly the Son of God who gave that same law is also the same one
who put blessings into the law. The same God who provides blessings for those
who are saved in a similar way applies curses which he placed in the law
against sinners. 'Woe,' he says. Woe to you and to those hearing these things
who plead the God of the law and yet do not understand that these words were
spoken by God in a kindly way. So we understand why Jesus said, 'Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees.' They believe that it is in fact a good thing to
pronounce these curses against sinners. They consider the arrangement of the
law’s curses to be a part of God’s design. The chiding father frequently urges
his advice on his son for his improvement - advice that may seem to be a curse.
He does not wish the curses to be actualized, however, but rather he desires to
avert him from even more such curses." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13)
MONDAY, AUGUST 28, MATTHEW 23:13-22
(1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10; Psalm 149)
(1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10; Psalm 149)
KEY VERSE: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites" (v 13).
TO KNOW: Jesus pronounced seven “woes” on the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocritical behavior, expressing grief for their sorry state and warning them of serious consequences to follow. He indicted them for keeping people from the kingdom of heaven, perhaps by their opposition to Jesus as the Messiah of God. These religious leaders made human rules more important than God's Word. They went to great lengths to win Gentile converts to Judaism, but they required them to submit to all the demands of the Mosaic Law (the early Church struggled with the same issue). They refused to swear by the name of God (Exodus 20:7); yet constructed an elaborate system of oaths, a way of making a promise while keeping their fingers crossed behind their back. Those who took oaths, swearing by the gold of the Temple or the gifts on the altar, did not realize that the greater importance was the sanctity of the one who dwelt in the Temple and the one whom they worshiped at the altar.
TO LOVE: Have I examined my behavior to see if it conforms to Jesus’ gospel?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be consistent in all I say and do.
Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop
and doctor of the Church
Although he was trained in the Christian faith by his mother Monica, Augustine lost his faith and led a wild life. He lived with a Carthaginian woman from the age of 15 through 30, and fathered a son whom he named Adeotadus (the gift of God). After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, he became a Manichaean, which taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: "God, give me chastity and continence - but not just now." Augustine finally broke with the Manichaeans and was converted by the prayers of his mother and the help of St. Ambrose of Milan. In 387 Augustine was baptized at Easter along with his son, who died soon afterwards. After the death of his mother, Augustine returned to Africa, sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and founded a monastery. Augustine oversaw his church as Bishop of Hippo during the fall of the Roman Empire to the Vandals. His later thinking can also be summed up in a line from his writings: "Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you." Augustine is a Doctor of the Church.
"To late have I loved you, O Beauty, ancient yet ever new. Too late have I loved you! And behold, you were within, but I was outside, searching for you there . . . You were with me, but I was not with you. . . You breathed fragrant odors on me, and I held back my breath, but now I pant for you. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and now I yearn for your peace" (Augustine, Book X, n. 27).
Monday 28 August
2017
St Augustine.
1
Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10. Psalm 149:1-6, 9. Matthew 23:13-22.
The Lord takes
delight in his people — Psalm 149:1-6, 9.
‘Alas, you
who are hypocrites.’
In the gospel today we read of
Christ’s forewarning his disciples to follow the good doctrine, and not the bad
example of the officials. He warns his disciples not to emulate their ambition,
but rather protest against their hypocrisy and blindness. In our modern world,
can we do the same?
When we see blindness to those in
need, the downtrodden, those less fortunate than ourselves, are we able to
speak out on their behalf in their defence? Where double standards are evident
in society, do we have the confidence to stand firm for what we believe in?
We pray that God may grant us the
gift of a sound mind and strong heart to follow the right path, especially in
trying times.
ST. AUGUSTINE
Today, August 28, the Church honors St. Augustine. Augustine
was born at the town of Tagaste (now Souk-Ahras, in modern day Algeria) on
November 13, 354 and grew to become one the most significant and influential
thinkers in the history of the Catholic Church. His teachings were the
foundation of Christian doctrine for a millennium.
The story of his life, up until his conversion, is written in the autobiographical Confessions, the most intimate and well-known glimpse into an individual's soul ever written, as well as a fascinating philosophical, theological, mystical, poetic and literary work.
Augustine, though being brought up in early childhood as a Christian, lived a dissolute life of revelry and sin, and soon drifted away from the Church - thinking that he wasn't necessarily leaving Christ, of whose name he acknowledges "I kept it in the recesses of my heart; and all that presented itself to me without that Divine name, though it might be elegant, well written, and even replete with truth, did not altogether carry me away" (Confessions, I, iv).
He went to study in Carthage and became well-known in the city for his brilliant mind and rhetorical skills and sought a career as an orator or lawyer. But he also discovered and fell in love with philosophy at the age of 19, a love he pursued with great vehemence.
He was attracted to Manichaeanism at this time, after its devotees had promised him that they had scientific answers to the mystery of nature, could disprove the Scriptures, and could explain the problem of evil. Augustine became a follower for nine years, learning all there was to learn in it before rejecting it as incoherent and fraudulent.
He went to Rome and then Milan in 386 where he met Saint Ambrose, the bishop and Doctor of the Church, whose sermons inspired him to look for the truth he had always sought in the faith he had rejected. He received baptism and soon after, his mother, Saint Monica, died with the knowledge that all she had hoped for in this world had been fulfilled.
He returned to Africa, to his hometown of Tagaste, "having now cast off from himself the cares of the world, he lived for God with those who accompanied him, in fasting, prayers, and good works, meditating on the law of the Lord by day and by night."
On a visit to Hippo he was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, from where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics.
The story of his life, up until his conversion, is written in the autobiographical Confessions, the most intimate and well-known glimpse into an individual's soul ever written, as well as a fascinating philosophical, theological, mystical, poetic and literary work.
Augustine, though being brought up in early childhood as a Christian, lived a dissolute life of revelry and sin, and soon drifted away from the Church - thinking that he wasn't necessarily leaving Christ, of whose name he acknowledges "I kept it in the recesses of my heart; and all that presented itself to me without that Divine name, though it might be elegant, well written, and even replete with truth, did not altogether carry me away" (Confessions, I, iv).
He went to study in Carthage and became well-known in the city for his brilliant mind and rhetorical skills and sought a career as an orator or lawyer. But he also discovered and fell in love with philosophy at the age of 19, a love he pursued with great vehemence.
He was attracted to Manichaeanism at this time, after its devotees had promised him that they had scientific answers to the mystery of nature, could disprove the Scriptures, and could explain the problem of evil. Augustine became a follower for nine years, learning all there was to learn in it before rejecting it as incoherent and fraudulent.
He went to Rome and then Milan in 386 where he met Saint Ambrose, the bishop and Doctor of the Church, whose sermons inspired him to look for the truth he had always sought in the faith he had rejected. He received baptism and soon after, his mother, Saint Monica, died with the knowledge that all she had hoped for in this world had been fulfilled.
He returned to Africa, to his hometown of Tagaste, "having now cast off from himself the cares of the world, he lived for God with those who accompanied him, in fasting, prayers, and good works, meditating on the law of the Lord by day and by night."
On a visit to Hippo he was proclaimed priest and then bishop against his will. He later accepted it as the will of God and spent the rest of his life as the pastor of the North African town, from where he spent much time refuting the writings of heretics.
Augustine
also wrote, The City of God, against the pagans who charged that the fall of
the Roman empire, which was taking place at the hands of the Vandals.
On August 28, 430, as Hippo was under siege by the Vandals, Augustine died, at the age of 76. His legacy continues to deeply shape the face of the Church to this day.
On August 28, 430, as Hippo was under siege by the Vandals, Augustine died, at the age of 76. His legacy continues to deeply shape the face of the Church to this day.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
23,13-22
Lectio Divina:
Monday, August 28, 2017
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 23,13-22
Jesus Said: 'Alas for you, scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of Heaven in people's faces,
neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go who want to.
'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and
anyone who becomes one you make twice as fit for hell as you are.
'Alas for you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound." Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Again, "If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on the altar, is bound." You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it. And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.
'Alas for you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is bound." Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Again, "If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on the altar, is bound." You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it. And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.
3) Reflection
• During the next three days, we will
meditate on the discourse pronounced by Jesus in which he criticizes the
doctors of the Law and the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites. In today’s
Gospel (Mt 23, 13-22), Jesus pronounces against them four times the expression
“Alas for you...” (Mt 23, 23-26), and in the Gospel of day after tomorrow, he
uses this same expression two other times (Mt 23, 27-32). These are expressions
against the religious heads of the times and these are very hard words. In
meditating them, I should not only think of the doctors and the Pharisees of
the time of Jesus, but also, and above all in the hypocrisy found in me, in us,
in our family, in the community, in our Church, in today’s society. Let us look
into the mirror of the text to discover the errors in ourselves.
• Matthew 23, 13: The first
“Alas for you...” against those who close the door of the Kingdom because in
this way you will not enter and, you do not even let those who want to
enter. How do they close the Kingdom? They do it by presenting God as
a severe judge, leaving very little space for the mercy of God; by imposing, in
the name of God, laws and norms which have nothing to do with the commandments
of God, by presenting a false image of the Kingdom and by killing the desire to
serve God and the Kingdom. A community which organizes itself around this false
god “does not enter into the Kingdom”, and it is not even an expression of the
Kingdom, and prevents its members from entering into the Kingdom.
• Matthew 23, 14: The second
‘Alas for you...’ is against those who use religion to enrich themselves. You
devour the property of widows, though you make a show of lengthy prayers. The
more severe will be the sentence you receive because of this”. Jesus
allows the disciples to live the Gospel, because he says that the labourer has
the right to his salary (Lk 10,7; cf. 1 Co 9, 13-14), but to use prayer and
religion as a means to enrich themselves, that is hypocrisy and does not reveal
the Good News of God. It transforms religion into a market. Jesus drives out
the merchants from the Temple (Mk 11, 15-19) quoting the prophet
Jeremiah: “My house will be called a House of Prayer for all people;
but you have turned it into a bandits’ den!” (Mk 11, 17; cf. Is 56, 7;
Jr 7, 11). When Simon the magician wanted to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit,
Peter curses him (Ac 8, 18-24). Simon received the “most severe condemnation”
of which Jesus speaks about in the Gospel today.
• Matthew 23, 15: The third
expression of ‘Alas for you...’ is against those who do proselytism you
travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and anyone who becomes one
you make twice as fit for hell as you are.” There are persons who become
missionaries and proclaim the Gospel not to radiate the Good News, but to
attract persons for their group and their church. John once prohibited a person
to use the name of Jesus because he was not part of his group. Jesus
answered: “Do not prohibit him, because anyone who is not against us is
for us (Mk 9, 39). The document of the Plenary Assembly of the Bishops
of Latin America, which was held in March 2008 in Aparecida, Brazil, bears the
title: “Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ, so that our people
may have life in Him”. That is, the purpose of the mission
is not to do in such a way that people become Catholic, but rather that people
may have life, and life in abundance.
• Matthew 23, 16-22: The fourth
‘Alas for you...’ is against those who swear. “You say, if anyone swears by the
Temple, it has no force, but anyone who swears by the gold of the Temple is
bound”. Jesus makes a long disquisition to show the incoherence of so
many oaths that people made or that the official religion ordered to take: to
swear for the gold of the Temple or for the offering which was on the altar.
The teaching of Jesus given in the Sermon on the Mountain is the best
commentary of today’s Gospel: “But I tell you do not swear at all, either by
heaven since that is God’s throne, or by earth, since that is his footstool, or
for Jerusalem since that is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your own
head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need
say is Yes if you mean yes, No, if you mean No; anything more than this comes
from the Evil One” (Mt 5, 34-37).
4) Personal questions
• ‘Alas for you...’, is said four times;
four reasons to receive a severe criticism from Jesus. Which of these four
criticisms refers to me?
• Does our Church today deserve these ‘Alas for you...’ from Jesus?
• Does our Church today deserve these ‘Alas for you...’ from Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Sing a new song to Yahweh!
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day. (Ps 96,1-2)
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation day after day. (Ps 96,1-2)
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