Memorial of Saint Monica
I Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:27-32)
In today’s gospel Jesus completes his diatribe against the
Pharisees and the scribes. As he proclaimed
the righteous “blessed” in the Sermon on the Mount, he denounces the
unrighteous here by describing their destiny as woeful.
Whitewashed tombs attract attention because the calc-like
substance spread across them contrasts with the dirt. The whitewash warns Jews not to contaminate themselves
by stepping over the remains of the dead.
Scribes and Pharisees similarly feign being comely when they are at
heart deceitful. During the time of Israel’s
kingdoms people persecuted and even murdered prophets for denouncing their lack
of faith and love. Here Jesus accuses
the scribes and Pharisees of similarly persecuting him.
Matthew records the “woes” not just to critique Jewish lay leaders
in Jesus’ time. He is also warning Church,
in our time as well as his, to guard against hypocrisy. We have heard too many times of priests and
ministers exploiting the vulnerable. Just
because they wear nice clothes and say pious things, Jesus tells us, does not mean
that they are good people.
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