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Gospel: Matthew 23: 1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The only group Jesus criticizes in the Gospels are the religious authorities of his day, because they turned religion into a matter of rules, which could be followed without ever invoking the heart.
For some, religion was strictly an external affair. “All their works are performed to be seen,” Jesus laments.
“They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets and seats of honor in synagogues.”
This temptation to appear religious – to simply follow the “rules” – is timeless, even for Catholics during Lent.
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Over the course of these forty days, the Church encourages us to pray, fast, and give alms. But like the scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus rebukes in today’s Gospel, we can do all of these things without ever changing our heart.
We can avoid meat on Fridays while still harboring a grudge.
We can write a check without ever seeking contact with the poor.
We can pray for strangers while remaining estranged from loved ones.
Missing a meal or checking a box will not turn us into Saints. We must walk the path of humility and love in order to please the Lord.
As the Lord cries out through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading, “Wash yourselves clean! [Cleanliness is a matter of the heart.] Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good.”
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Only when we allow God to change our hearts, will we be holy and pleasing in his sight.
What might that look like for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) JewishBoston (3) Bible Study Tools