Who is God Seeking

~~~ Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 23:1-12 ~~~

Jesus scolded the scribes and the Pharisees 

for not being who they claimed to be.

He warned the people to not be fooled

 by their behavior...

their actions were not even aligned 

with their own words.

All their works are performed to be seen.

These holy learned men shrouded

 their true selves in fine clothing.

They become their own diversion.

But nothing can be hidden or disguised before God.

God looks deep within...

God sees the 'pimples' in our soul.

God is not impressed 

with your position at the banquet table.

God seeks those who desire 

a humble and contrite heart.

God seeks those who...

cease doing evil; learn to do good.

This is precisely what we are called 

to do each year during Lent.

We have forty focused days 

to catch ourselves doing evil...

none of us are perfect...we are all sinners.

We have forty focused days 

to learn to do good.

Now is the time to do some soul searching.

Now is the time to stop sinning...at least

 make the serious intention.

Do you really want to do good?

Or is it only when people are watching you?

Jesus shows us the way.

We do not have the task to discover 

what being 'good' means.

God is seeking you.

Help Him find you faster 'do good'

for He already knows who and where you are today.

Blessings 

turn away from evil and do good.

~~~Peace~~~

Are You Honest with Yourself?

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:27-32 ~~~

Jesus continues to harp on the scribes and Pharisees...

Accusing them of white washing the exterior of the tombs

while fully knowing that inside lies rotten flesh and dry bones.

He goes on to accuse them of pretending

 to have been better than those who have died.

 ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,

we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’

Jesus is not easily fooled by their play with words.

Jesus is not impressed by their external appearance and practices.

Jesus knows that the scribes and the Pharisees

are not connected to the truth of Psalm 139.

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

They shun away from uttering these words.

They fool themselves into believing that only 

they know what lies within their heart.

They fool themselves into believing that Jesus

 is just like the rest of the people.

With the scribes and Pharisees what you see is not what you get.

They lie about who they are and what they are

 right to the face of everyone.

But when they try their usual tactics with Jesus;

it fails to work...Jesus knows too much.

Jesus does not have a crystal ball or any magic abilities.

Nothing is or can be hidden from Jesus...

not darkness...not far away places...

no mountain tops or ocean depths.

Where can I go from your spirit?

From your presence where can I flee?

Secretly the scribes and Pharisees 

are seeking a place where Jesus is not present.

Jesus makes them feel very uncomfortable,

but they remain stubborn, resistant, hard headed.

They continue to polish their public appearance...

they whitewash the sad facade of their life.

Jesus hears their empty words.

Just as he hears all of our words too.

We cannot say or act in such a manner that would

camouflage our true self from God. 

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

We must learn from the foolish thinking 

of the scribes and Pharisees.

Pretending to be better than we really

 are inside does not work with Jesus.

Imagine Jesus laughing the next time you

are temped to think you can fool him.

Jesus knows us more intimately than our parents or our friends.

Jesus knows us better than we may even know ourselves.

If you pretend long enough you may be able to fool yourself.

You may be able to rationalize away all of your 

ways which are not pleasing to God.

The most holy people learned to come to Jesus 

with their flaws and weaknesses.

We must come to Jesus with an honest open heart.

He is the great healer,

but first you must be honest with yourself.

This is how you are able...

walk in a manner worthy of the God...

who calls you, knows you, and loves you.

May all the days of your life be Blessed

 first from the inside. 

~~~Peace~~~

The "New Detergent"

~~~ 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3A, 14-17 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Matthew 23:23-26 ~~~

Try not to be shaken out of your minds or alarmed,
but you may need to take another look at your dishes.
Are they as clean as you think they are?
Do they look clean until you hold them up to the light?
Is it time for a new dish washing soap?
Or is ti time to buy new dishes?

Jesus takes some delight, it seems,
in making comparisons to the scribes and Pharisees.
Today it is about their supposedly cleanliness.

"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....

Jesus talks about cups and bowls,
but he is really talking about these men in authority.
Jesus does not really care about whether or not
 they are following all of the prescribed cleansing rituals.

He did not come to inspect their kitchens.
He is not the local health department representative.

He speaks to their inner self as compared
 to their external appearance.
Their hearts are corrupt with minutia...the tiniest gnat.

...Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean."

You probably have seen the commercial of the woman
takes a clean glass from the dish washer
only to discover it looks very cloudy.

The detergent had cleaned the outside of the glass,
but a cloudy film remained on the inside.

The new improved detergent promises to rid the dishes of the cloudy film.

Jesus was the 'new detergent'.
He came to remove the cloudy film,
but the scribes and Pharisees resisted such nonsense.

What is on the inside is so much more important than the outside.
The scribes and Pharisees paraded around dressed in their fancy robes.
All the while their insides were left in a state of uncleanliness.

They were not taking care of the important things like...
...judgment and mercy and fidelity.

Sometimes we too focus on the 'outside' of the cup.
If we can keep our heart and soul fixed on the good things of the Lord

then everything else will fall into its proper place.

The scribes and the Pharisees become Obsessive Compulsive
 about even the smallest part of the law. 

They were not the least bit concerned about
 how well they were loving God and their neighbors.

Jesus wants us to follow his example of love.
Observing the law may have its place,
 but it should never supersede our desire to love.

Jesus is the 'new detergent',
he removes the cloudy film from inside our hearts.
He Blesses us with his love so that
 we can in turn love others more completely.

Turn your cleaning first to the inside of the cup and all will be well.
~~~Peace~~~

The Word Speaks of Itself

 

~~~  Hebrews 2:5-12 ~~~ Psalm 8 ~~~ Mark 1:21-28 ~~~

 

The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

 

 

From the first time Jesus taught in the synagogue at age twelve

those listening to him were amazed and astonished.

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

 

A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand.

They might also be called to copy the sacred texts.

By the very nature of their profession they were educated...

they could read and write.

In Ancient Israel the scribes would have been

the ones creating copies of the Torah.

 

There were very strict guidelines for the scribe to follow for creating

a copy of the sacred writings.

In addition to counting the exact number of lines and writing in black ink

they were also to speak each aloud as they were writing.

In other words they would have been very familiar with the

sacred texts by the time the copy was completed.

 

It would have been the scribes who taught the people to read the Bible.

The scribes were the teachers of the synagogue...

the "rabbi".

The scribes were respected because they were the keepers of the words of God.

 

Now we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue as one having authority...

as one who knew the text he was teaching.

 

The scribes knew the mechanics of the words.

They knew how to write the letters to make the words.

They knew how to speak the words.

But they did not have the spirit and meaning of the words like Jesus.

 

The scribes could copy the words exactly,

but Jesus could make the words come to life.

He was after all "the Word" made flesh.

 

 

Jesus was teaching from the heart.

The scribes were following procedures...

originating from the head.

 

When Jesus taught it way more than mechanical rhetoric.

When Jesus taught it was with spirit and passion.

 

A scribe had to measure exactly and carefully count.

A scribe had to speak precisely each word as he was writing.

A scribe had to do his work in a the proper environment.

 

Jesus went about his work in the streets;

among the poor, lame, and possessed.

Jesus took his teaching outside of the synagogue proper

and all who heard him were astonished.

 

He spoke differently than the learned scribes.

What are You Blind To

The Memorial of St. Augustine

~~~ 2 Thes 2: 1-3a, 14-17 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Matthew 23: 23-26 ~~~

 

St. Augustine is called the Doctor of Grace.

Once again the scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites

get an in your face experience from Jesus....

 

"...You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin..."

 

I can just see it now if we were to start bringing herbs and

pungent spices as our offering to church each week.

Is this really what it means to tithe?

I think, not.

Jesus goes on to tell them what they have been ignoring instead...

"...have neglected the weightier things of the law:
judgment and mercy and fidelity."

 

They have neglected judgment to the point that they have appointed

themselves as the judge and the jury.

They had the final say,

because after all they were the law scholars.

No offense to the lawyers out there.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of judging others.

We can come up with so many reasons as to why

we are justified in judging someone.

Next time you are tempted to judge someone, pause

for a minute and ask yourself,

'Why do I feel the need to judge this person?'

 

They have neglected mercy because when you are always right

what use is mercy to you.

Mercy is for those who want to make amends with their

fellow community and family members.

Mercy is for the weak those you pity.

They did not have time to be bothered with mercy.

Mercy requires that you actually hear what the other person has to say.

Mercy is not only about your side of the story.

Mercy is something freely given to each of us by God.

Mercy requires compassion and kindness extended toward others.

The scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites had no time for this either.

If you are the judge and jury mercy is not part of the equation.

 

Lastly Jesus chooses to include fidelity.

We are not talking about the well known insurance company here.

The dictionary defines fidelity as faithfulness to a cause, person, or belief

demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

Instead of being faithful to the teachings of the Lord;

 they become the nit pickers.

Scrutinizing the dot on every i and the cross on each t

became their greatest concern.

 

Jesus does not stop here he continues to pour more fuel on the fire...

"...Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!"

 

There are times when the little things would be better ignored

so that you can address the larger concepts.

You know how very tiny a gnat is compared to a camel.

Furthermore a camel can store up 'stuff' in those signature humps.

They just totally miss the point.

I know some educators exactly like this with their students.

Is the student getting the work done precisely as the teacher has instructed?

Are the margins set to the teacher's specifications?

You get the point.

 

But here comes the real clincher from Jesus.

"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."

He points out that they are lacking in self examination.

The have not been inclined to look at their own self.

They are so busy with judging and scrutinizing everyone else.

They do not see their own internal corruption.

 

This is true for ourselves too.

If we take care of our spiritual self, that is the tending of our soul

we will also have a beautiful outside.

Whatever is inside will show on the outside.

We only pretend to believe that people cannot see who we really are.

 

 

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.

Why do you think that psalm was written?

 

I think because if we keep ourselves on the the right track

it will be reflected in how we deal with others.

 

We will recognize that all judgment comes through God.

We will practice extending mercy to others even when it is difficult.

We will be faithful to the gospel message even when we find it challenging.

 

May the outside of your cup truly reflect the fine wine

stored within your heart.

 

St. Augustine, lead us to truth and knowledge.

Grace to You

The Memorial of St. Monica

~~~ 2Thes 1:1-5, 11-12 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~Matthew 23: 13-22 ~~~

 

We have this saying...the blind leading the blind...

My interpretation of this is if the teacher does not first

know the material then it is impossible to teach it to another.

Together we may we able to muddle through the material

but much will be lost in the process.

 

In the gospel message from Matthew Jesus is addressing the Scribes,

Pharisees, and the hypocrites.

He says you are supposed to be the most learned

and you have got it all wrong.

You cannot understand things for yourself,

 so how are you going to lead the rest?

 

Paul, by contrast, has his eyes and heart open.

He is in a much better state to share his knowledge.

Look just at how Paul greets his followers...

"...grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ."

 

Right away Paul's message is obviously instilled with the spirit of God.

He thanks God for those he writes to and praises them

"...your faith flourishes ever more,
and the love of every one of you for one another

grows ever greater..."

 

I cannot ever remember it recorded that the scribes or the Pharisees

said anything uplifting to those under them.

Instead they were masters at criticism.

They were diligent about looking for whether or not

you were following all of the prescribed rituals and laws.

 

Paul goes on to share how he speaks of the Thessalonians to others.

He uses their community as a model and inspiration for others.

 

The scribes and pharisees do not hold up any one community as an example.

They are prevented from seeing the good that is present.

They are not capable of giving thanks, because they do not see what

the people are doing right.

 

As a parent and a teacher,

 I know it is so much more effective to give genuine

praise to your children than to be ever

on the lookout for opportunities to reprimand.

 

Paul wants this group of people to know that he prays for them.

Paul prays for them with a specific intention in mind.

"...that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith..."

 

I do not know about you, but personally I would be thrilled if someone was

offering this prayer to God on my behalf.

Paul was so in love with the Lord that he could not keep it for himself.

He was compelled to share his joy in the Lord with all those he met.

 

The scribes and pharisees were compelled to share

with all of those they met,

but it was to prove they had all of the answers.

It was to prove that they were better than the rest of the lowly people.

They were better because

THEY had all of the right answers.

THEY knew how things were supposed to be done.

THEY were the educated.

THEY were the experts.

 

They were so caught up in their own greatness and egos

that they could not see that something better

was being laid out before their very eyes.

 

They continued to be the 'blind leading the blind'.

The people who followed Jesus perhaps felt

free from the critical eyes of the scribes and the pharisees.

 

 

Saint Monica is such a beautiful example today. 

Remember to always pray

even for that which seems impossible.

Paul prayed for his followers.

Saint Monica prayed for her son Augustine.

 

Our prayers are always answered.

Sometimes God makes us wait on him

lest we forget that he is God.

 

We are not God; we must trust his timing and the manner

in which he answers our prayers.

For he always answers even if he makes us wait.

He always answers our prayers even when we cannot see

that which is the actual answer.

 

On a personal note.

God recently answered one of my prayers

in the form of a big blue bus...

the Mega Bus.

In my wildest dreams I would never have prayed for a blue bus.

I have learned to never under estimate the creativity of our God.

He continues to amaze me!

I pray that each of you will allow God to amaze you

in unexpected ways.

Oh, and I might add that your eyes be able to see when

the answer is presented before you.

 

You can only accept that which is made visible to you.

St. Monica, pray for our conversion!