Sunday, August 22, 2004

1:36 am

The Catholic Calendar for Monday, August 23, 2004
Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
St. Rose of Lima, virgin

Scripture from Today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12
Psalm 96:16-5
Matthew 23:13-22

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

In today's gospel we hear the Lord giving it to the Pharisees once again. Even a quick reading of the gospels shows how critical He was of them. The question is, why?

The answer is simple, really. The Pharisees were concerned only with what happened on the outside such as displaying their fasting, showing off their thorough knowledge of the law and repeating many prayers in public. They left the inside totally ignored.

I, too could easily be a Pharisee. I can genuflect, bless myself with holy water, say the hours and the rosary by heart. Good things, yes, but meaningless if I have nothing inside.

This "inside" is what the apostle Paul meant when he said:

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the
gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all
knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do
not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have
love, I gain nothing.

It is what is inside a person - love - that matters to our Lord. All the rest is nothing.

- Don Claunch, SFO
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