Memorial of Saint Monica
Lectionary: 426
Reading 1
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3A, 14-17
We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no one deceive you in any way.
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,
who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement
and good hope through his grace,
encourage your hearts and strengthen them
in every good deed and word.
Responsorial Psalm
Pslam 96:10, 11-12, 13
R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the Lord, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Alleluia
Hebrews 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 23:23-26
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:
judgement 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Sanctuary Within You
“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.” Matthew 23:24–26
Imagine if someone were to offer to wash the dishes after dinner and all they did was to wash the outside of the cups and bowls but left the inside untouched and then placed them back in the cupboard. The next time you would go to use them, you would find them looking good until you took them down and saw the dried liquid and food inside. This is the image that Jesus uses to describe the Pharisees. They only cared about the external appearance and ignored the more important interior of the soul.
Jesus also used the contrasting images of straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel. This was a reference to the laws in Leviticus that forbade the Israelites from eating “swarming creatures,” such as gnats and other bugs, (Leviticus 11:41–45) as well as the meat of camels (Leviticus 11:4). Saying that the Pharisees “strain out the gnat and swallow the camel” was a figure of speech by which Jesus accused the Pharisees of distorting the smallest details of the law while ignoring the most important ones. For example, the Pharisees required everyone to strain all liquid before drinking it, just in case a gnat accidentally was present in that liquid, but they cared little about true justice when it came to killing the Son of God. For these reasons, the Pharisees had become “blind guides” and “hypocrites,” incapable of leading people to holiness.
The bottom line is that Jesus is telling us that we must truly become holy, not just appear so. God sees the heart and judges the heart. The only other person who can see your heart is you. Therefore, we must also hear this condemnation of the Pharisees so that we will understand the importance of looking into our own souls first and foremost. From there, from the holiness within, our exterior will also radiate the holiness of God.
One of the documents of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, beautifully speaks to us about the conscience: “Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths” (#16). This “secret core and sanctuary” within us is what Jesus is most concerned about. Very often we are tempted to be far more concerned about how we look to others than how we truly are inside. For example, the person who lives a sinful double life may go to great lengths to look holy to others, doing all they can to hide their sin from others. On the contrary, someone might be living a very holy life but be falsely accused by another publicly, causing much pain. In the former case, as long as the person is not found out, they appear at peace. In the latter case, even though the person is living a good and holy life, if they are falsely accused, they may be tempted to despair as their public image is shattered.
What others think and say about us is ultimately out of our control to a lesser or greater degree. What is within our control is that which is within us. Our interior life, that secret core, that sanctuary within where we meet God, must become the focus of our energies. Exteriorly, it ought not matter that others praise us or criticize us. What matters is that which is true, and only you and God can look into your heart to see that truth. The Pharisees failed to understand this essential truth. They put all their energy into their public image, neglecting that which was most important, making them incapable of leading others to God.
Reflect, today, upon your soul. How often do you look inside yourself? Are you able to be honest with yourself, acknowledging your sin and being grateful for your virtue? Or are you among those who are more concerned with how you look to others? Turn your eyes to the secret sanctuary within because it is there, in that secret core, that you will meet God, grow in holiness and then radiate that true holiness within our world. When that happens, God will also be able to use you to be a true guide to holiness for others.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
glory be!
“He called you through our preaching of the good news so that you might achieve the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —2 Thessalonians 2:14
To possess the glory of God, go to Mass frequently, even daily. The Holy Mass is the place par excellence to possess the glory of God. At Sunday Mass, there is an entire prayer, called the Gloria, which focuses on the glory of God. In this prayer, we glorify God, saying “We give You thanks for Your great glory.” Before the Gospel reading, the entire congregation exclaims: “Glory to You, O Lord.” In the Creed, we proclaim that Jesus “will come again in glory.” All four Eucharistic Prayers end by proclaiming that “all glory and honor is” God’s. After the Our Father, we say to God: “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and for ever.” At the closing of the Mass, one option for the priest to dismiss the congregation is: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”
Moses said to God: “Do let me see Your glory!” (Ex 33:18) Moses longed to “possess” the glory of God (see 2 Thes 2:14, RNAB). God allowed Moses to view His glory from behind (Ex 33:22ff). Later, Moses saw Jesus’ glory during the Transfiguration (Mt 17:3). Surely Moses would be thrilled to attend Holy Mass and possess “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes 2:14). May we long for the glory of God and find it in the Mass.
Prayer: Father, may I give “You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do” (Jn 17:4).
Promise: “He shall rule the world with justice.” —Ps 96:13
Praise: Rebuffed time and again by her son, St. Monica continued her prayers for him until his conversion.
Reflection 3
Fr. Martin Hogan
Perhaps we don’t always think of Jesus as having a sense of humour. Yet, the image he uses in today’s gospel reading displays a sense of humour. He accuses the Pharisees of straining our gnats and swallowing camels. A gnat or flee is almost invisible; a camel is big and imposing. The picture of someone straining out a gnat so as not to swallow it while happily swallowing a whole camel is humorous in a zany kind of way. Jesus uses that image to poke fun at those who make a big deal about what is not important while happily ignoring what is important – being scrupulous about paying tithes on herbs while ignoring justice, mercy and faith. Jesus is talking about getting our priorities right, keeping things in proportion. We can all be prone to getting overly excited about minor matters while not attending sufficiently to what really important. On this occasion, Jesus lists what is important as justice, mercy and faith. Justice and mercy concern our relationship with our neighbour; faith concerns our relationship with God. Jesus is saying, what really matters is getting those two relationships right; everything else is secondary. St Paul says something very similar in one of his letter, ‘the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love’. We pray that this would always be our priority.
Prayers
Lord of true holiness, You desire to cleanse my soul, and You invite me to meet You there within. Please give me the grace I need to care more about my holiness within than the external perceptions and judgments of others. May I become holy, dear Lord, and learn to become an instrument of that holiness for others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others with fairness, loving-kindness, patience, and goodness.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 239: The Seal of Mercy
Every great saint exemplifies some aspect of the goodness of God. Some live lives of exceptional detachment from worldly riches, some serve the poor with unwavering commitment, some live lives of deep prayer, some have mystical revelations, some write volumes of books revealing the depths of faith, but all are called to bring forth the Mercy of God in one way or another. The Mercy of God must be like a seal, stamped upon your heart. God’s Mercy will shine forth from your life in the unique way that He has chosen for you. The “seal” of God’s Mercy will become unique, shining forth as a gift given only through you. Be open to the ways that God has chosen to shine forth from your life. Allow that seal to become radiant and visible to all and you will witness great things take place by God through you (See Diary #1242).
Reflect upon your heart being sealed with the permanent and visible seal of the Mercy of God. In what ways do you discern that the Lord wishes to radiate His Mercy from your life? What are the concrete ways that His Mercy in Heaven is to come down to Earth through you? Seek the particular and concrete manifestations of God’s Mercy offered through your life. Committing yourself to these visible and real manifestations will enable you to become a powerful instrument of His Heart in our world.
Lord, I love You and deeply desire to allow You to manifest Your Mercy through my life. I choose You as the source of all goodness in my life and give You my heart to seal with Your compassion and love. Shine through me, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
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