GOD’S WORD

August 25, 2014 – Monday 21st Week in Ordinary Time Louis of France / Joseph Calasanz Psalter: Week 1

Ps 96:1–2a, 2b–3, 4–5

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1st Reading: 2 Thes 1:1–5, 11–12

From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God, our Father, and in Christ Jesus, the Lord.

May grace and peace be yours, from God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, we should give thanks to God, at all times, for you. It is fitting to do so, for your faith is growing, and your love for one an - other, increasing. We take pride in you, among the churches of God, be – cause of your endurance, and your faith in the midst of persecution and sufferings. In this, the just judgment of God may be seen; for you must show yourselves worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are now suffering.

This is why we constantly pray for you; may our God make you worthy of his calling. May he, by his power, fulfill your good purposes, and your work, prompted by faith. In that way, the name of Jesus, our Lord, will be glorified through you, and you, through him, according to the loving plan of God and of Christ Jesus, the Lord. Gospel: Mt 23:13–22

But woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You, yourselves, do not enter it, nor do you allow others to do so.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ property; and as a show, you pray long prayers! Therefore, you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to make a single convert; yet, once he is converted, you make him twice as fit for hell as yourselves!

Woe to you, blind guides! You say: To swear by the temple is not binding; but, to swear by the gold of the temple is binding. Foolish men! Blind men! Which is of more worth: the gold in the temple, or the temple which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say: To swear by the altar is not binding, but to swear by the offering on the altar is binding. How blind you are! Which is of more value: the offering on the altar, or the altar which makes the offering sacred?

Whoever swears by the altar, is swearing by the altar and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the temple, is swearing by the temple, and by God, who dwells in the temple. Whoever swears by heaven, is swearing by the throne of God, and by him, who is seated on it. Reflection:

The Lord’s polemics with the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees increase in force as time passes by. It is their hard headedness that He is most angry about. If they only open their eyes a little bit and exercise self-examination, they will discover how much they have strayed from the path of righteousness. But they are not willing to change. They legitimize their crooked ways by deft manipulation of the Law. It is no longer a guide to righteous living but an instrument to preserve their status quo. Jesus will have none of this travesty. He will continue to criticize and confront this hypocrisy that has burdened God’s people for so long.