31st Sunday Ordinary Time
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Cycle A
- A187: Why do I need to have a "Church magisterium" (Official teaching office) to instruct me? I sincerely try to read and understand scripture, and apply it to my own life. Isn't that enough?
- Glory Reflected
- Q343: What does Jesus mean in today’s gospel (Matt 23:1-12) when he says, “do all things they [the Pharisees] tell you, but don’t follow their example”?
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A187: Why do I need to have a "Church magisterium" (Official teaching office) to instruct me? I sincerely try to read and understand scripture, and apply it to my own life. Isn't that enough?
Today's readings focus on this question. In the First Reading (Malachi 1:14-2:2, 8-10) the prophet is severely chastising the leaders for improper teaching and bad example. In the Gospel (Matt 23:1-12) Jesus says to "do as they say, not as they do" because the works of the scribes and Pharisees don't match their own words.
A lot of our brothers and sisters in the past few centuries have strayed from the "pillar and bulwark of the truth," the Roman Catholic Church (1 Tim 3:15), because they wanted to decide for themselves what was correct teaching. Therefore in many beliefs and practices they rejected the wisdom of the bishops, popes and councils that had been passed on for centuries as the "deposit of faith," also called the Tradition. So they wound up with thousands of different churches, each one claiming to have the right answers, and each one picking and choosing what they wanted to keep or discard. They have lots of sincerity; but what they do not have is the continuity of the truth (the deposit of faith) as passed on by the bishops over the centuries. Nor do they have the authority of a priesthood in continuity with and in unbroken succession from the early apostles. For this reason, they lack the fullness of truth. As Msgr. Peter Dunne is fond of saying, "when our brothers and sisters left home, they did not take all of their belongings with them."
The Roman Pontiff (the "Pope") and the bishops are the authentic teachers of the faith, an authority that comes from Christ himself. Without this authority, there would be no one to define "objective truth" and people would be left to flounder in their own differing and subjective interpretations of God's revelation. Only the presence of the Holy Spirit preserves this function in the Catholic Church.
Know Your Catechism! Discuss within your family how the authority of bishops doesn't come from "college knowledge," but rather from God. See Matt 16:18-19, and 28:19-20. Next read CCC #2032-34. Did you know that you and I have the duty to observe and faithfully carry out everything that the Church teaches? Read CCC #2037, 2045 and share with each other what we could do in response.
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The Protestant Reformation broke out in 1517. One of its arguments for change was that Rome, the city of the popes, had fallen into worldliness. Although this was not sufficient grounds for leaving the church, the charge was by no means groundless.
Fortunately, a Florentine, Philip Neri, born in 1515, would re-evangelize the Eternal City and win the title "Apostle of Rome." With wonderful leadership, Philip, first as a layman, then as a priest, used every possible means - pilgrimage, devotions, music, visits to the sick, jokes, a new religious order, and many others - to bring about a genuine spiritual renewal. Young people adored this witty man. Popes and cardinals sought his direction and counsel.
But despite his popularity as an organizer, Philip also received from God many mystical graces, like the ability to read hearts and to cure diseases. Prayer, especially the celebration of Mass, brought on ecstasies. Many of his associates testified to that. Sometimes when he was saying Mass he was swept up into a union with God that lasted as long as two hours. Those who saw him on such occasions said that his face glowed with a supernatural light. It was as if St. Philip had become a mirror reflecting the God of Light. He seemed already to be enjoying for a few minutes with the saints already in heaven, the vision of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "...
Father, holy one, we praise your glory reflected in the saints." (Prayer after Communion, Mass of All Saints Day.)
-Father Robert F. McNamara
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Q343: What does Jesus mean in today’s gospel (Matt 23:1-12) when he says, “do all things they [the Pharisees] tell you, but don’t follow their example”?
The Pharisees were the most influential religious group in Jesus’ time, and the majority of scribes and lawyers were Pharisees. Thus, as a Group they were the guardians and interpreters of the Law. They prided themselves on knowing the Law backwards and forwards, and debated endlessly about the smallest details of various words and commands.
The “problem” was not their knowledge of the words of the Law. Rather, the “problem” was that their pride in that knowledge led them to focus exclusively on the external dimension of the law, and neglecting the more important internal dimension of spirituality. They became argumentative in their self pride, even trying to trap Jesus and show him they knew more than he did.
Jesus recognized their proud self-importance, simply by observing their external habits. They wore prayer boxes (phylacteries) that grew larger and larger than required by Torah; their prayer tassels on their cloaks got longer and fancier than required by Torah; they looked for seats of honor and public recognition. In short, they lacked the humility which is the very essence of true inner spirituality. Thus Jesus told the crowds and his disciples, “do as they say, not as they do.” They would not mislead them regarding the words of the Law; but they did not themselves live out the spirit and meaning of the Law.
We find that same pride – lack of humility – today in Catholics who refuse to humbly accept all of the teachings of the Magisterium, the official teaching office of the Church that Jesus established. They “pick and choose” what they want to believe, just like the Pharisees at their worst level of behavior - - woefully deficient at the level of inner spirituality, and deceiving themselves about that fact.
KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! The condition for entering the kingdom is that of becoming like a child in relation to God. This means “humbling ourselves,” being open to the truth as taught by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church so that Christ may be formed in us (CCC #526). Pride is a capital sin because it sets oneself in competition with God (CCC, Glossary on Pride; also #1866).
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