Tuesday, March 3, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

After scoring the winning goal at the Olympics last week, hockey star Jack Hughes said that he was proud to be an American.  He meant that he was grateful to be part of a nation that values sportsmanship and excellence.  There is nothing sinful about this kind of pride.  It is a love of self and of one’s loyalties based on truth.

Pride at the same time can be a vice.  In fact, it has been called the mother of all evil.  Sinful pride ignores the truth by an exaggerated assessment of one’s own virtue.  Its love of self goes beyond all warrants as it seeks to garner everyone’s admiration.  Jesus accuses the Pharisees of this inordinate love in today’s gospel.  He says that they love to wear pretentious clothing, to use misleading titles, and to seek undeserving places of honor.

As our human legacy, all of us are touched by sinful pride.  From the president of the republic to a Mississippi sharecropper, we tend to think of ourselves as greater than what we are. In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah tells us that we might overcome this vice even if we have exploited it a thousand times.  His antidote is to ingest the word of God.  Isaiah says that if we obey God’s commands, we might enjoy all the goodness that life offers.  Jesus tells us the goodness includes eternal happiness.  But if we do not obey, however, Isaiah warns our pride will lead us to everlasting conflict.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

Way back in 2015 Pope Francis emphasized the need that constituents of the Church “walk together.”  He was commenting on church synods as one of the important results of the Second Vatican Council.  Synod literally means “walking together.”  A synod usually refers to bishops from around the world meeting to discuss Church teaching and practice.  Francis, however, has extended the concept to include all members of the Church.  He hopes that bishops, priests and deacons, religious and laity dialogue together on church concerns.  He is not introducing a democratic form of governance.  He only hopes that the Church reflect better Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel.

Jesus is forming a church where equal dignity thrives.  His disciples should be brothers and sisters to one another.  No one is to wear pompous garments.  Nor should one presumptively refer to another by special title like “father” or “master.”  Rather, all are to serve one another’s needs.  This rule applies especially to leaders who have traditionally been called “ministers” (literally, “servants”) in the Church.

Before there can be true dialogue, we must acknowledge our failure to treat one another with equal dignity.  Pastors have too often refused to listen to lay perspectives on Church policy.  Often enough, laity have tried to claim bishops’ authority by claiming “we are the Church.”  As Isaiah admonishes in today’s first reading, we all must make justice our aim.  We are to redress the wronged, to hear what women have to say, and to include the powerless in the decision-making process.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

 Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

A famous American novelist once stipulated the most important thing a good writer must have.  It wasn’t a computer or even a library.  No, according to this Nobel laureate, a good writer must have a built-in, fool-proof “crap detector.”  Good writers Know they are writing about.  They are not fooled by things with impressive covers but lacking content.  They can tell what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong.  In today’s gospel Jesus shows the ability to be a good writer.

Jesus is criticizing religious rigorists who are prominent in any age.  He faults them for wanting to be respected as learned and holy when they show little interest in God’s concern.  They do not make justice their aim as Isaiah says people must in today’s first reading.  Jesus tells his followers to be wary of such pretenders.  He wants his disciples to eschew titles of honor.  Rather they should want to be known simply as “brother” or “sister.”

Many of us are concerned about being perceived as caring and intelligent.  We like to be called “doctor” or “father” or “professor” or “nurse.”  Are we defying Jesus’ lesson here?  Perhaps not if our true aim is to serve well.  We might ask ourselves if we live in accord with the professional ethic that our title implies.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

A cartoon once appeared in the newspaper featuring a well-heeled couple emerging from church.  They thank the preacher for never saying anything to offend people like themselves!  The couple would have walked out in a huff if they were to hear what Isaiah says in today’s first reading.

Isaiah reminds especially the well-off of their responsibility for the needy.  They must assure that the rights of the defenseless are not violated.  Wrongs against them are to be prosecuted and their children must be taken care of.  In the gospel Jesus critiques the Pharisees for their obtuseness toward the same needy.  Rather than assist the poor, the Pharisees make life harder for them.  Meanwhile they seek praises from the people for carrying out lesser precepts.

We must take care never to act self-righteously like the Pharisees.  It is good, of course, to pray regularly.  But we must recognize that God demands that we also assist those in need.  It is not wrong to wear a silver cross or to pray with a crystal rosary.  But we also must send some of our resources to organizations that are helping the poor to live decently.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

After Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis, a woman who worked with him was interviewed.  She showed great admiration for the man she called, “Padre Jorge.”  The interviewer tried to correct the apparent misnomer saying something like, “You mean ‘Cardinal Jorge.’”  She responded that she had tried to call him that, but he told her to call him just “Padre Jorge.”  Obviously, Pope Francis has taken to heart today’s gospel.

But Jesus says in the gospel, “’Call no one on earth your father.’”  He means that Christians should be wary of titles of honor.  They inflate the ego so that some think of themselves as more deserving of special treatment from the common person.  Jesus is especially critical of the Pharisees who seem to go out of their way to be paid homage.  Could he have in mind as well that humans are not to use the title “father” for their male parent so that it would be reserved for God alone?  That is doubtful.

The gospel today is linked to an Old Testament reading reminding us to repent of our sins.  Taken together, the Scriptures tell us to remove from self-consideration any haughty pride which can grow on us like moss on trees.  Rather than seeking to be named with titles like “Doctor” or “Mister,” we might introduce ourselves simply by our given names.  Much more importantly, however, we are to give ourselves in humble service for the good of others.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

In his short story “Counterparts” author James Joyce shows how authoritarianism is passed on from one person to another and from one generation to the next. The story begins with a worker being berated by his boss for not having finished his work. The worker then insults his boss and must either seek his forgiveness or lose his job. When he goes home that evening the worker takes out his troubles on his son. The child has let the fire extinguish on which he was to cook his father’s supper go out. The man begins to beat him while the boy pleads for mercy.

In the gospel today we find Jesus putting an end to authoritarianism among his followers. They are to treat one another as equals without any class distinctions. There are to be no “fathers” and “mothers,” or “masters” and “mistresses” among them. His intention is not very different from that of the founders of the United States who put aside all titles of royalty. Everyone was to be just “Mister” or “Mistress” (Mrs.). Evidently, strict egalitarianism -- authoritarianism’s complete opposite -- has proven impossible to maintain. In both church and state we find honorary distinctions among people although in America it cannot be said that they proliferate.

Still we must not dismiss what Jesus proposes for his church. If we call priests, “father,” and religious women, “sister,” we should not see these distinctions as means of privilege but as reminders of service. As a father, the priest should cheerfully give his time and energy to the spiritual growth of the church. Sisters also must provide wisdom, example, and encouragement in support of the people of God.

Homilette for Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Tuesday of the Second Week in Lent

(Isaiah 1:10.16-20; Matthew 23:1-12)

The gospel today should hit church-goers between the eyes. Jesus is criticizing the Pharisees, the religious zealots who give religion a bad name. They are pompous about practicing religion and hardly charitable toward other people. The passage implicitly asks us if we may not be women and men of the Pharisees. Do we like to be seen in church and to gossip about people after Mass? Do we complain intolerantly about other races and religions and turn a blind eye to the serious shortcomings of our own practice of faith? If so, we would be among the biggest of sinners in Jesus’ eyes.

An antidote to Pharisaism is frequent confession. Of course, people who think of themselves as good usually have little felt need of confession. They are like inmates of a prison whom the governor of a large state once visited. When he arrived at the prison, he was besieged with requests for a pardon. Everyone said that there were not guilty of the crime for which they were imprisoned. The governor held an assembly in which he asked if any inmate was justly sent to prison. Only one inmate raised his hand. Then the governor said he was going to pardon that man so that he wouldn’t corrupt all the others.

Most of us sin regularly at least by thoughtlessness and ingratitude. These sins may not be scarlet red but just a sickening pink that should also distress us.