Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: August 27, 2024

Date: Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time/Memorial of St. Monica

Scripture Text:  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: judgment 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.”

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel reading today from Matthew is part of a longer address of “woe” to the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem for their hypocrisy. Jesus’ point is relevant to all of us who may believe we are living a holy life based on externals performed for all to see rather than the essential “invisible” internal spiritual exercises.  

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Am I focusing on what others can see and judge or what the LORD alone can see, the internal conversion of mind, heart, and soul?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, You call me to yourself and shower me with blessings and grace. In awe I come to You, recognizing that your desires for me run deep. As I respond to your loving call, help me to choose wisely and to strive always to become the one You created me to be, the disciple You call me to be, your living temple here on earth. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.