20200825 FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE BIG PICTURE
25 August, 2020, Tuesday, 21st Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17 © |
Stand firm and keep the traditions we have taught you
To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.
Through the Good News that we brought God called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 95(96):10-13 © |
The Lord comes to rule the earth.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness.
The Lord comes to rule the earth.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
The Lord comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
The Lord comes to rule the earth.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Or: | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 23:23-26 © |
Clean the inside of the cup first, so that the outside may become clean
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’
FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS AND THE BIG PICTURE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-3,14-17; MATTHEW 23:23-26 ]
When we read today’s scripture readings, we cannot but laugh at the ridiculous way the Jews and the early Christians practiced their faith. In the gospel, Jesus brought up an example of how inconsistent the religious leaders were in their understanding of the Law of Moses. Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides!” According to the law of Moses, the Jews paid 10% tithes from the crops they harvest to support those who were “landless”, namely the priests, the Levites and the poor. They even applied this principle to the garden herbs as well when such contribution from the little garden was grossly insignificant. In the first reading, St Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians reminded them of the Second Coming of Christ. Consequently, they reacted by not working and simply idling their time away, since Christ was coming at any moment. (cf 2 Th 3:6-13)
Before we ridicule them, we should also examine ourselves as well when we lose the sense of proportion in living up to the requirements of our religion. What they did is precisely how some of us, especially those who are supposedly to be closer to God and to the Church, behave. Devout Catholics and those in church ministry are always squabbling over the laws of the Church, whether it be liturgical laws or some observances such as fasting and abstinence. We are so worried about breaking these laws than the laws concerning justice and charity. Indeed, we would fight over how one should receive communion, which hand to be placed over the other. Some argue whether it is right to receive communion on the tongue or by the hand, whether they can raise their hands during the praying of the Our Father; whether they must observe an hour of fast before Holy Communion, about eating meat on Friday; how we dress in church, kneel, genuflect, etc.
This is not to say that such liturgical rules and customary practices of the Church are unimportant and be dispensed without serious consideration. On the contrary, St Paul in his letter wrote to the Christians, “Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth of by letter.” Oral or written traditions passed down to us play an important part in preserving our faith, our values and our unity. Every Church, religion, society, community and nation have their own customs and traditions. Such traditions help us to relive our vision and common values that hold us together. They help us to reinforce certain values we hold dear in life, whether it is with respect to worship of God or relationship with others.
However, we must be careful that these traditions and practices are not observed externally, without the right spirit. This is what the Lord condemned. He said, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisees! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.” The Jewish leaders were more concerned about the external behavior and conduct rather than the interior spirit of what we do. They were always putting up the required comportment, observing ritual cleanliness, meticulous obedience to the laws and neglected the weightier matters of the Law. In the same way, we spend so much time arguing over our differences, resulting in slander and accusations, and sometimes even threatening to bring each other to Court, which goes against the exhortation of St Paul. (1 Cor 6:1-8) St Paul had harsh words for such people, “In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud – and believers at that.” (1 Cor 6:7f)
Indeed, Jesus helps us to see things in perspective. He said, “These you should have practised, without neglecting the others.” What are these things that precede all the other customs and traditions, if not the principles, the essentials of the gospel message? Jesus said, these are “the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith!” The gospel is not about observing rules and traditions. They are means to help us to live out the Spirit of the gospel, not to impede or make life difficult or burdensome for believers. The gospel seeks to set us free, not bind us. St Paul told the Galatians “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1) This yoke of slavery refers to both our passion and observance of the Jewish laws.
What we must be checking ourselves is not whether the rituals are properly observed but whether we are living a life of justice. We can be practicing all the rituals correctly, singing the right hymns, using the right gestures at liturgical celebrations but at work, we lack justice and charity. We are abusive, use harsh words on our workers, discriminate those whom we do not like, favour our cronies; cheat in business, offer bribes to our customers and clients; ill-treat our domestic helpers and migrant workers and oppress the vulnerable and the weak; in so doing we show ourselves to be inconsistent. Indeed, we are very good at finding fault in our neighbours but we are blind to our own. We are good, as the Lord said, at “straining out gnats and swallowing camels!”
Secondly, religion is not about rituals but about living a life of mercy. Many of us who are supposedly devout, cannot forgive. We bear grudges and are very judgmental of others, especially those who are sinners, divorced, those with same- sex orientation and ex-offenders. We lack mercy and compassion for them because we do not know the full circumstances that led them to sin, or to commit offences. We are very quick to condemn and judge. But Jesus came to show us the mercy of God, His unconditional forgiveness. He had no qualms eating and drinking with tax collectors and mixing with sinners and prostitutes. He came to show mercy to the sick, the widow, the possessed and those under bondage. Unless we place charity above everything else, we can engage in right worship but such external practices will not bring us closer to God. St John said, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” (1 Jn 4:20) St Peter wrote, “maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pt 4:8)
Thirdly, we must do everything in good faith, as the Lord said. In other words, we must do everything with the right motive. Purity of motive in serving the Lord, in worshiping Him, in observing the commandments is critical in knowing whether our hearts are like God’s. We must be careful that we do not behave like the Jewish leaders who did everything to attract attention. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.” (Mt 23:5-7)
In the final analysis, we need to search ourselves, whether our religious observances have led us to love God and our fellowmen more and more. If we have grown in compassion, mercy and in integrity, then we know that we are on the right track. Otherwise, we can observe all the customs and traditions but they can cause us more harm than good. Like the Thessalonians, we must see the big picture, the ultimate goal which is to prepare for the Lord’s coming. In the meantime, we must not be complacent, lazy, or idling around and gossiping, but we must live out our election as God’s children. This is what St Paul wrote, “Through the Good News that we brought God called you so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had given us his love and hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.” St Peter also exhorts us, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.” (2 Pt 1:10)
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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