Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 27, 2019
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and known me!2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?8If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!9If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.13For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.16Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.19Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!20They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?22I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Gospel: Matthew 23.23-26
23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Sermon
The Gospel reading today is a powerful critique by Jesus against the scribes and Pharisees, highlighting their hypocrisy and misplaced priorities. Jesus condemns them for meticulously observing minor details of the law, such as tithing on herbs like mint, dill, and cumin, while neglecting the far more important aspects of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. He uses vivid imagery to illustrate their spiritual blindness, comparing them to those who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. This metaphor underscores how they focus on trivial matters while ignoring the weightier issues of justice and compassion. Jesus further criticizes their obsession with outward appearances, such as cleaning the outside of cups and dishes, while inwardly they are filled with greed and impurity. He calls them to first clean the inside of the cup, implying that true purity must begin from within.
This passage is part of Jesus’ broader denunciation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23, where he exposes their hypocrisy and calls them to authentic faith. The Pharisees were known for their strict adherence to Jewish law, but their focus on external rituals often led them to neglect the heart of the law, which is love and mercy. Jesus’ words here are not a rejection of the law itself but a call to prioritize its deeper, spiritual dimensions over superficial practices. He is emphasizing that true religion is not about outward appearances or meticulous rule-keeping but about the condition of the heart.
In our daily lives, this passage invites us to reflect on our own priorities and practices. Are we guilty of focusing on the “gnats” of religious observance while neglecting the “camels” of justice, mercy, and love? Do we, like the Pharisees, clean the outside of the cup while leaving the inside stained with greed, anger, or pride? Jesus’ words challenge us to examine our hearts and ensure that our faith is not merely external but deeply rooted in a genuine relationship with God. Let us strive to live lives of integrity, where our outward actions flow from a heart that is pure, compassionate, and just. True holiness begins within, and only then can it radiate outward in a way that honors God and serves others.