SECOND WEEK OF LENT

 

Religion is Interior — No Hypocrisy

 

Introduction

When we know our faith and practice our religious duties and observances – when we go to Mass and the sacraments and practice penance during Lent – are we good Christians? Only if our heart is in what we do. If we act as we believe and do what we say. If our faith affects our everyday living and our relations with our neighbor. If we build up the kingdom of God. Otherwise our faith is hypocritical.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord God,
you want us to live our faith
not so much as a set of rules and practices
but as a relationship from person to person
with you and with people.
God, keep our hearts turned to you,
that we may live what we believe
and that we may express our love for you
in terms of service to those around us,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.

Reading 1: Is 1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23

(23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia: Ez 18:31

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Gospel: Mt 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

Intercessions

–   That we dare to see what is wrong in our Church and in society and voice our protest, we pray:

–   That leaders in the Church and in politics may not let deeds of hunger for power or greed contradict their words and promises, we pray:

–   That we may all care for widows and orphans and for those who have a hard time in life, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God,
we are gathered before you
with your Son in our midst.
May we learn from him
that to celebrate the eucharist
is no substitute for committing ourselves
to the work of justice and mercy
but its source of strength.
May we build up among us
your kingdom of peace.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, you send us
to be your community,
to be your sign to the world.
May we not draw attention
to ourselves or to our practices,
but go to you together as your people
and guide the world to you.
May service and love be our humble way,
and may Jesus lead us,
he who is your Son and our Lord for ever.

 

Blessing

May God give us a sense of honesty with ourselves and with God, that we may not pretend to be better than we are and do nothing just for the sake of being seen by people. God knows, and that is enough. May the holy, truthful God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary

“Do and observe what they tell you, but do not follow their example!”
Who are these “they?” When we read the bible, we tend to believe that Jesus is talking about someone, not me. The Pharisees, the scribes … the religious leaders of the time who preached a distorted face of God to the people. They preached the scripture well, but failed to live what they preached.

Oh dear! Am I the only one who feel that the Gospel today is directly addressed to me? Today’s Gospel calls on us – preachers of the Word of God – to do an introspection. If Jesus was posing a direct challenge for the religious leaders of his time, the Gospel today continues to challenge the religious leaders of the present time. How often do we across pastors who loved to be addressed as reverend or doctor and fill their name-cards with the long list of their academic achievements? When I prepare my homilies and reflections, I am afraid, I prepare them for those listening to me, but fail to live what I preach.

The Gospel challenges us today: Do I ever do good things or works of charity so that people may appreciate me for what I do? The social media updates too often turn out to be self-advertisement of our social or economic status, achievements and charity works.

Pope Francis had years ago suggested a standard test for a good shepherd. He said, ‘we need to have shepherds who bear the smell of the sheep’. How good a shepherd am I in the Christian community and in the family? Do I boss over others around…? When someone needs help, do I ignore them and fail “to lift a finger” to help?