Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A
Mal 1:14-2,10; 1 Thes 2,7-13; Mt 23, 1-12.
As we draw further into the Autumn season and the air starts getting cooler, we get more concerned about the flu. (Well at least I do.) We take all necessary precautions against the influenza virus by taking the vaccine and anything that can boost our immune system and our health in general.
A very particular viral strain
However there is another virus - perhaps of an even more pernicious strain - that we must be leery of. And it is a virus that affects us not only during this particular season, but all the year round. I am referring to what Pope Francis has called, in one of his daily homilies at Casa Santa Marta "the virus of hypocrisy." These are strong words indeed from a Pope, especially who is constantly harping on the importance of mercy. His point however, like the point of today's gospel is to shake us up, and to put us on the lookout. None of us is exempt from the risk of being infected by this virus, because spreads fast and wide. Therefore it is good to take all the necessary precautions, and this is what today's readings invite us to.That our blessings may never turn to curses
Today's readings make us aware once more of this risk, especially with regard to laws. The prophet Malachi has very strong words for us when he says, "I will turn your blessings to curses!" To appreciate the forcefulness of this phrase we have to remember that the People of Israel considered themselves as really loved and blessed by God for having been given the commandments. They used to boast in front of their neighbouring nations, "Look how much our God loves us, that he has given us his word, showing us how we should live!" (See Eg Deut 4). However it can easily turn from a blessing into a curse when it is seen as a burden to be carried rather than as something that is life giving.Appreciating the wider sense of the law
Nowadays we find it hard to understand the meaning of God's law. We tend to confuse it with either with civil law or with natural law. In other words, we associate it with being constantly observed, with lack of freedom and with punishment. There isn't much to do with regard to civil law and natural law: you just have to obey whether you like it or not. When we start interpreting the laws that Jesus has given us in this way, then instead of seeing law as life giving, we start regarding it as something that restricts our freedom. Or else simply as a set of customs and norms that define us as Christians or Catholics and which make us different from other religious traditions. This is a very poor and narrow understanding of law. It is an understanding that Jesus wants us to correct in us. That is why he says, "Do and observe all they say." This applies not only to Church affairs, but also to all other areas of life: our work, our relationships including family life.The life-giving sense of the law
If we look at the law as a burden it will be indeed a burden, but if we look at it for what it really is, that is, an invitation of love from God, then the result would be completely different. I can see attending mass on Sundays simply as obedience to a precept. I can look at is as though it were something that I have to do because otherwise I will be committing a mortal sin. If I do not go to mass, I will lose face with others and after all I am a Catholic and as a good Catholic I have to go to mass whether I like it or not.Take hiking, for example
Imagine a doctor who tells you, "You will benefit from some fresh air. I want you to spend a day every week hiking in the mountains." And instead of enjoying the suggestion of the doctor, you start grumbling, and saying, "What a bore! My doctor told me I have to stay going hiking in the mountains! What a waste of time and of energy! What kind of doctor is he?" Somebody else who would have tried it would actually rejoice at the opportunity, and if possible do so every day!An invitation and a response to love
What a difference it would make if I looked at Sunday mass not as a precept I have to obey but as an invitation of love, and our response to this love. When I do so, I do not make sure to go to avoid making a mortal sin, and neither do I go just to make a good impression on the people around me. I go because I am motivated by love. And this applies not only to Sunday mass but to everything, including prayer time and reading and meditating on the scriptures, the bible, including confession, and all those other things that the church teaches so that I can grow into a freer, more integrated person.Same in other areas of life: work, study...
The same thing can be applied to the work that I do: whether I do it just because I cannot do otherwise, or because I believe that it really is life giving and a service to others. Studying can be very tiresome and boring, but when I realise that I can perhaps eventually make a contribution no matter how modest to the life of others, then it is no longer a burden but it becomes a privilege of being able to help others....and in our relationships too
Perhaps the most painful and dangerous form of the virus is when it affects our relationships, that is, when we flatter each other with compliments and generous acts but they are little more than lip service and outward actions. I am always inspired by, and learn a lot from, people who are not afraid of associating themselves with the outcasts of society - or of the church, for all that matter - because they advocate for their rights and needs rather than joining in with those who criticise them.All the words of Jesus are life-giving, even when he speaks of being servants to each other. When done out of life, I serve others gladly, not to receive complements or impress in some way or other. For Jesus said, the greatest among you, must be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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