Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 27, 2019
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.5You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.19If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!20They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?22I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Gospel: Matthew 23.23-26
23"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will 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.