Self-knowledge

August 26: Tuesday of Week 21 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17; Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13; Matthew 23:23-26

Thoughts to help us surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

Self-knowledge

“Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside.” Matthew 23:26

Jesus says the heart counts more than behavior. Behavior can both reveal and hide the true values of our heart. Sinners may be “pure of heart,” because they hate the sins they fall into. Scrupulous law-observers may be unscrupulous exploiters whose hearts are “full of greed and self-indulgence.” Pope Francis describes a modern form of Phariseeism in The Joy of the Gospel:

93. Spiritual worldliness, which hides behind the appearance of religiosity and even love for the Church… is a subtle way of seeking one’s “own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:21)... Since it is based on carefully cultivated appearances… from without, everything appears as it should be. But [in the Church, it is] “infinitely more disastrous than any other worldliness which is simply moral.”

94. This worldliness… is the self-absorbed promethean neopelagianism of those who in their hearts rely only on their own strength and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style from the past. A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism. Instead of evangelizing, they evaluate and label others. Instead of opening the door to grace, they put all their energy into controlling... They are not really concerned about Jesus Christ or others” (quoted August 5 above).

Use this to judge yourself, not others!

PRAY: “Create a clean heart in me, O Lord.”

PRACTICE: Examine your motives and desires.