Blindness

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' 

You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it." (Matthew 23:13-22)

The scribes and Pharisees received a tongue-lashing from Jesus.  They were hypocrites.  Are we the same?  If we are, then the lashes will be felt, unless we close our ears to Jesus, and many of us do.  We don’t recognize our hypocritical behavior such as claiming to be faithful Catholics and followers of Jesus, but we are more interested in gold (money) and the power and influence it brings.  We are blind guides and fools.

Bringing gold to the altar – or the donations we make to our Church – without an accompanying change of heart to truly care for others and not just to gain favor with and influence over priests, makes us blind to the truth.  More of us need to focus on Jesus’ demands and not on our need for recognition and status.  If we don't, then we are blind.

Deacon David Pierce