Lk 11:42-46
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.”
One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Paying Attention to Hard Truths
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.”
Jesus is calling out false appearances of honor and prestige. He is warning the Pharisees and the scholars of the law to humble themselves in front of God and to serve and not be served.
These are hard truths to hear and accept…
Is there a hard truth that Jesus is speaking to me right now that I need to pay closer attention to?
Am I uncomfortable with this potential truth and trying to deflect it with honor and prestige?
Am I paying attention to what is important beyond the initial appearances?
What or who am I overlooking right now?
Am I willing to see Christ and my neighbor in a deeper, more loving way?
—Dr. Sajit U. Kabadi is the Assistant Principal for Mission, Ministry, and Diversity at Regis Jesuit High School in Colorado.
Prayer
Grant me, O Lord, to see everything now with new eyes,
to discern and test the spirits
that help me read the signs of the times,
to relish the things that are yours, and to communicate them to others.
Give me the clarity of understanding that you gave Ignatius.
—Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ