Monday 26 August 2024
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12. Proclaim his marvellous deeds to all the nations – Psalm 95(96):1-5. Matthew 23:13-22.
How do we honour our commitment to Christian living?
This passage from Matthew always brings up old high school memories of the Godspell lyrics ‘blind guides, blind fools!’ and ‘alas for you!’ being sung with gusto and scorn. Jesus’ prophetic critique in Matthew’s Gospel helped shaped that community’s identity as it separated from the Judaism of the ‘scribes and pharisees’. Brendan Byrne SJ highlights the importance of a ‘responsible reading’ of Matthew in a post-Holocaust era, observing that the depiction of the (Jewish) religious leaders is without historical foundation. And yet Jesus’ anger is compelling. How does his prophetic critique resound in our time and place? When are we blind to what’s important and sacred, instead only seeing value in ‘shiny things’ or our status and reputation? How do we honour our commitment to Christian living by our words and actions? Loving God, may we be open to a sacramental view of life, to notice and wonder and give thanks for all that you have brought into being.
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