Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Monica, the patroness of mothers, married women, and alcoholics.
Hers was a difficult life, sustained by faith and grace. Monica’s husband was a serially unfaithful drunkard, whose wayward life rubbed off on their children.
We know the story of one of her children, in particular, Augustine of Hippo.
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Like his father, Augustine was a restless youth who caused his mother to worry constantly. Although he was immensely gifted, Augustine first used his gifts to better himself.
For 17 years, Monica prayed for his conversion. I’m sure she shed enough tears to fill the sea, storming heaven in prayer day after day, night after night.
But she never gave up. Love never does.
Shortly before her death, Monica’s prayer was answered, at least for her son.
Augustine not only became Catholic; he was later ordained a priest and a bishop. Finally putting his gifts at the service of the Church, Augustine became one of the most influential thinkers the Church has ever known — and a Saint, to boot!
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On her deathbed, Monica asked Augustine for one thing: “That you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.”
That’s something each of us can do for our loved ones, especially those who struggle in any way – with faith, temptation, or a particular cross.
We remember them today at the altar of the Lord, trusting that, through Monica’s intercession, our prayers will also be answered.
Saint Monica, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Life Palatte (2) St. Monica, Come into the Word with Sarah Christmyer (3) EWTN.com
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Someone once said, “You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”
As Christians, you and I are meant to digest the Word of God so deeply that it becomes part of who we are.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus accuses the religious authorities of doing the very opposite. They’ve essentially hijacked religion, turning it into a system of rules, leading people to believe that God cares more about the purity of their hands than the purity of their hearts.
“Woe to you!” Jesus says.
The meaning of this word, “woe,” in Greek not only carries a sense of deep wrath, but also sorrow. The fact that the religious leaders of his day have prevented people from encountering the love and mercy of God made Jesus sorrowfully angry.
So, he condemns them with seven different “woes.” Some have called this Gospel passage, “Christ’s rolling thunder.” Nowhere else does Jesus issue such a strong, sustained rebuke. In fact, the religious leaders are the only ones whom Jesus condemns in the Gospels.
This is a damning truth, considering the fact that Jesus prayed for – and even forgave – his executioners! But this is how seriously the Lord holds religious figures accountable – or, for that matter, anyone who claims to know him.
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“You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”
So, how has the Word of God come alive in your heart? How is the compassion of Christ revealed in your speech? How does the love of God reveal itself through your actions?
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As Teresa of Avila reminds us, “Christ has no body on earth now, but yours.” May we use our eyes, our voice, our hands and feet to reveal the infinite love and mercy of God, lest Jesus cry out, “Woe to you!”
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Image credits: (1) Jesus Christ- The World’s Savior and Redeemer (2) The Sydney Morning Herald (3) Strength with Dignity
Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Once in an interview, the French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre, a cradle Catholic, was asked if the rumor were true. “Have you left the Catholic Church?”
“Yes,” he replied, “that is true.”
“Have you joined another religion?” the interviewer inquired.
“No,” he says, “I have lost my faith. I have not yet lost my reason.”
Sartre felt like many in today’s Gospel did. After Jesus presented himself as, “The bread come down from heaven,” whose “flesh” we are supposed to eat, the crowds replied: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat? This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Notice they took Jesus literally, as we should, too.
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Today’s Gospel is the final excerpt from chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, commonly referred to as the, “Bread of Life Discourse.”
We’ve been reading through this same chapter for the last five weeks, which might seem repetitive. But John is trying to make abundantly clear what Jesus is doing: he is establishing a new, eternal covenant between God and his people.
A covenant fulfilled by the spilling of Christ’s own Body and Blood.
The use of blood to seal a covenant was not foreign to the Jews; this happened multiple times throughout their history. Consider the two most significant covenants in the Old Testament – the Passover and the giving of the Ten Commandments.
Both were sealed in blood.
With the giving of the Ten Commandments, for example, Moses was commanded to sprinkle blood on the altar, then on the Israelites, which meant, if either side were unfaithful to the covenant, then blood must be shed.
Because no Jew could keep the commandments perfectly, the Lord later proclaimed through the prophet Jeremiah:
“The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. They broke my covenant. But I will be their God and they shall be my people.”
Jesus is claiming that this new covenant is fulfilled in him. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
Unable to accept his words, the crowds abandon Jesus in droves, prompting him to ask his disciples: “Do you also want to leave?”
Peter doesn’t fully understand what Jesus is saying, either. Still, he responds in good faith, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Unlike the crowds, Peter and the other disciples have given up everything to follow Jesus. At this point, they’re all in.
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At the Last Supper, Christ’s words begin to make sense to them.
As he celebrates the Passover, Jesus takes a loaf of bread and a cup of wine, and says, “Take this, all of you and eat of it… this is my Body… This is my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant. Do this in memory of me.”
Thus, the Eucharist becomes the new covenant promised through the prophet Jeremiah.
It’s why attending Mass matters. Herewe receive Jesus. HereGod recommits himself to us – and we to him! Herewe say with our ancestors, “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD… for he is our God.”
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Still, many wonder, why must Jesus give us his “flesh” to eat? Why is his Word not enough?
The Eucharist reverses the ancient curse caused by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Remember, they break their communion with God through a disobedient act of eating.
God said to Adam, “You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden, except from the tree of knowledge. When you eat from it, you shall die.” As a result, sin and death entered the world.
At Mass, we restore that communion lost through our first parents also through an act of eating. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” Jesus says.
With our “Amen,” we become what we receive.
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Unlike Sartre, who claimed to have lost his faith – what did he really gain? – when we reach the edge of reason and mystery alone remains, may the words of Peter become our own, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
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Image credits: (1) (2) Medium (3) St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
