“When we serve the poor and the sick we serve Jesus.

We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus.”

                                                                    ~~~ ST. ROSE OF LIMA ~~~

 

St. Monica

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17

Brothers and sisters,

Let us speak about the coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, and our gathering to meet him. Do not be easily unsettled. Do not be alarmed by what a prophet says, or by any report, or by some letter said to be ours, saying, the day of the Lord is at hand. Do not let yourselves be deceived, in any way.

 

To this end he called you, through the gospel we preach, for he willed you, to share the glory of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

 

Because of that, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions that we taught you, by word or by letter. May Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has loved us, may God our Father, who, in his mercy, gives us everlasting comfort and true hope, strengthen you. May he encourage your hearts and make you steadfast in every good work and word.

 

Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13 The Lord comes to judge the earth.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊    

Matthew 23:23-26

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You do not forget the mint, anise and cumin seeds when you demand the tenth of everything; but then, you forget what is most fundamental in the law: justice, mercy and faith! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel.

 

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup, with theft and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them. Blind Pharisee! Purify the inside first, then the outside, too, will be purified.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Healing from blindness."

Hypocrisy is blindness. A hypocrite is not able to see the truly important things. Consequently, the hypocrite is preoccupied with the details of the things that serve him/her but unmindful of the basic things when serving others. A hypocrite is too self-preoccupied, neglecting justice, mercy, and faith.

 

When our hypocrisy is unmasked, our preoccupation shifts from personal concerns to other people's concerns. Hence, when we are no longer too preoccupied with ourselves, we grow in faith while exercising justice and mercy. Today's Gospel continues Jesus' ouai, his grief, over the blindness of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Jesus was trying to offer them healing with regard to their blindness but they would prefer to remain blind.

 

As we proceed with our faith journey, we become more aware of our own blindness which still prevents us from becoming more caring and concerned about other people. We allow Jesus to unmask the part of ourselves which is still blinded by too much self-preoccupation. Such unmasking could be painful, or even fearful, but let us not forget that it is this same Jesus who sincerely and lovingly journeys with us.