*** 1st Reading ***

Romans 2:1-11

Therefore, you have no excuse,

Who­ever you are, if you are able to judge others. For in judging your neighbor, you condemn yourself, for you practice what you are judging. We know that the condemnation of God will justly reach those who commit these things, and do you think that by condemning others you will escape from the judgment of God, you who are doing the same?

 This would be taking advantage of God and his infinite goodness, patience and understand­ing, and not to realize that his goodness is in order to lead you to conversion. If your heart becomes hard and you refuse to change, then you are storing for yourself a great punishment on the day of judgment, when God will appear as just judge.

 He will give each one his due, according to his actions. He will give everlasting life to those who seek glory, honor and immortality and persevere in doing good. But anger and vengeance will be the lot of those who do not serve truth but injustice.

There will be suffering and anguish for everyone committing evil, first the Jew, then the Greek. But God will give glory, honor and peace to whoever does good, first the Jew then the Greek, because one is not different from the other before God.

 

Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 9

Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.

 

**** Gospel ****

Luke 11:42-46

 A curse is on you, Pharisees; for the Temple you give a tenth of all, including mint and rue and the other herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. This ought to be practiced, without neglecting the other.   

A curse is on you, Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace.  A curse is on you for you are like tombstones of the dead which can hardly be seen; people don’t notice them and make themselves unclean by stepping on them.”

 Then a teacher of the Law spoke up and said, “Master, when you speak like this, you insult us, too.”   And Jesus answered, “A curse is on you also, teachers of the Law. For you prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves don’t move a finger to help them.

 

Gospel Reflection

In this gospel, Jesus articulates what probably is the sentiment of the many but voiceless people of Israel. These are the poor who felt the oppression of practices backed by religious institutions.

These religiously sanctioned practices in turn created a minority spiritual elites such as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. They are not bad people. It’s just that they are unthinking participants in the oppression of their people.

And in time, they could not see beyond their own narrow privileges and become vigorous promoters of these unjust religious structures. And so, Jesus has to use strong words to shake them from their human made conventions and bring them back to the true worship of God.

In doing so, He ruffles some feathers these are people who will fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo thinking that they are fighting God’s cause and therefor, what they do is spiritually glorious.