First Reading
Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the LORD:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist,
the sword shall consume you:
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Gospel
Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
TITLE: GUILT TRIPS
"Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool." –Isaiah 1:18
In yesterday's readings, Daniel twice confessed: "We are shamefaced" (Dn 9:7, 8). In today's first reading, the Lord promises to forgive sins that are "like scarlet" or "crimson red." These scarlet sins are those of which we are most ashamed. Shame is a form of self-hatred. We feel no-good, dirty, ashamed of ourselves.
Shame results when we try to deal with guilt by our own power. Guilt is good. It is a normal, God-given reaction to sin. Guilt is the spiritual counterpart to the physical sensation of pain. As pain saves us from being seriously hurt or warns us that we need medical attention, so guilt warns us that something is wrong spiritually. Guilt is part of reality. The question is not: "Will I go on a guilt trip?" All human beings will go on guilt trips. We can't help it. The question is: "When and where and for how long will I go on a guilt trip?"
If we deal with guilt by repenting immediately and taking a short guilt trip to Jesus' forgiveness, we receive love, mercy, and freedom from our sins. If we delay our guilt trip and hope we won't need to take one, we'll eventually take one anyway. The longer we wait, the worse it gets. If we wait too long, we finally take a one-way guilt trip to hell. If we take a guilt trip not to Jesus' love, but to our self-pity, or human efforts, our guilt leads to shame, that is, self-hatred. Therefore, when we sin, we should repent immediately and take a short guilt-trip to Jesus' forgiveness.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for guilt, and thank You especially for Jesus and His blood shed to wash away our sins.
PROMISE: "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." –Mt 23:12
PRAISE: St. Cyril zealously dedicated himself to instructing catechumens during Lent and Easter. His lessons were so anointed that they have been passed on for seventeen centuries.
...may the good Lord bless His holy word in our hearts...
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