October 12, 2022 – Luke 11:42-46
Jesus today continues to attack the attitudes of the Pharisees. Rather, Jesus sees himself attacking a certain mindset that can all too easily be among us Christians and, if we are honest, sometimes in ourselves.
A series of woes Jesus throws at the Pharisees. Of the “be careful, be more consistent.” But he does it to us as well. These are four very current temptations: a facade charity without justice; a restrained narcissism that tramples on the dignity of others; an ability to deceive others in order to profit; judging and guilt-tripping others in order to repair ourselves. We are often like this, doing charity to clear our conscience but forgetting the justice that comes before charity, where it is not giving but sharing what our brother does not have. We focus on ourselves always wanting to appear, deceiving others and letting them hurt in order to emerge us or worse yet burden them with guilt to make ourselves emerge free from the same mistakes.
Moreover, once again a criterion emerges that affects both spiritual and social life: when truth is at stake, we cannot remain silent. Charity manifests itself in benevolence but does not impose silence; on the contrary, it is precisely in the name of charity that we must communicate those words that can shake our consciences and help our brothers and sisters to understand their errors and change their lives in order to set out in God’s ways. To love someone means to want good. This is the way the Church has always followed. Jesus does not challenge that behavior that stems from human weakness but a way of understanding and living religiosity that does not correspond to the truth God has revealed. Harsh words that apparently do not open avenues for dialogue. To understand Jesus’ attitude we must remember two things: first, He is the Teacher and therefore has the duty to speak to manifest God’s will; second, denunciation is never an end in itself, that is, it does not serve to humiliate the person; on the contrary, it is an announcement, that is, a call that urges conversion. This premise, which in other times would have been superfluous, has become more than necessary today. Every trouble stigmatizes a structural error, that is, a way of thinking that deforms faith. But the second is one that makes us go to the heart of things: “Woe to you, Pharisees, who love first places in the synagogues and greetings in the public squares” (11:43). Those who behave this way put themselves at the center of life, seeking to win the approval and esteem of others. This is the logic behind the likes that rage on social media. We worry about pleasing others. Instead, faith teaches us to live under God’s gaze to do only what is pleasing to Him.
Messages of life
– Even the Church itself over the centuries has not been above criticism in this area. And perhaps that is still true today.
– Bishops and priests have sometimes imposed heavy burdens on the faithful and not given much help in carrying them. Sometimes church leaders have been more eager to preserve traditional practices (such as liturgical issues that are fiery) than to bring people to a deeper love of Christ and others.
– Phariseeism is alive and flourishing in our society, but the first person to correct it is me.
Fr Joby Kavungal RCJ
San Lorenzo Parish, TREZZANO SUL NAVIGLIO – MILAN