The Catholic Calendar for Monday, August 27, 2001
Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
St. Monica
Complete story: http://www.christdesert.org/public_texts/martyrology/
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Thessalonians 1:2-5,8b-10
Psalm 149:1-6,9
Matthew 23:13-22
Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
"But woe to you Scribes and Pharisees...." (Mt 23:13)
Jesus is relentless in his denunciation of the Pharisees. Rightfully
so. Look at the first charge Jesus levies against them: "...you shut
the kingdom of heaven against men....nor do you allow those going in
to enter." (Mt 23:13) Can you imagine anything worse? Not only do
they keep others out, but they don't even bother to enter themselves?
How can this happen?
As it turns out, it happens very easily. A little turn away from God
ends up resulting in a huge distance away from God. They start by
making all sorts of rules such as "Thou shall not swear falsely, etc,
etc...." Jesus taught us to let our speech be simply "Yes, yes!" or
"No, no!" He declared, "Whatever is beyond these comes from the evil
one." (Mt 5:37)
When you mean yes -- say yes! When you mean no -- say no! Nothing
more is needed, and anything else tends to lead each of us astray.
Better simply to speak the truth and not try to make a point of it by
swearing. We begin the building of the kingdom of heaven by living
simply, by speaking the truth, by walking as carefully as we can, the
path laid before us by God.
- JuandelaCruz, TOC
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