February
23, 2016
Tuesday
of the Second Week of Lent
Saints of the Day: Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (+167) , Saint Serenus, Gardener and Martyr (+307)
Reading 1
10Hear
the word of the LORD, princes
of Sodom! Listen
to the instruction of our God, people
of Gomorrah! 16Wash
yourselves clean! Put
away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease
doing evil; 17learn to do good. Make
justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear
the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
18Come
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.
19If
you are willing, and obey, you
shall eat the good things of the land; 20But
if you refuse and resist, the
sword shall consume you: for
the mouth of the LORD has spoken!
Responsorial Psalm
8“Not
for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for
your burnt offerings are before me always. 9I
take from your house no bullock, no
goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
16b“Why do you recite my statutes, 16cand profess my covenant with your mouth,
17Though
you hate discipline and
cast My words behind you?”
R.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
21“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. 23He
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.
Verse
Before The Gospel Ezekiel 18:31
Cast
away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and
make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Gospel
1Jesus
spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,[1]
2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of
Moses.[2]
3Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not
follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. 4They tie up
heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will
not lift a finger to move them.[3]
5All
their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and
lengthen their tassels.[4] 6They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor
in synagogues,[5] 7greetings
in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
8As
for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’[6]
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Call no one on earth your
father; you have but one Father in heaven. 10Do not be called
‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ.
11The
greatest among you must be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be
humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Notes on Readings:
[1] Matthew 23:1-39 - The final section of the narrative part of the fifth book of the gospel is a denunciation by Jesus of the scribes and the Pharisees (see the footnote on Matthew 3:7). It depends in part on Mark and Q (compare with mark 12:38-39; Luke 11:37-52; 13:34-35, but in the main it is peculiar to Matthew. (For the reasons against considering this extensive body of sayings-material either as one of the structural discourses of this gospel or as part of the one that follows in Matthew 24, see the note on Matthew 19:1 - 23:39). While the tradition of a deep opposition between Jesus and the Pharisees is well founded, this speech reflects an opposition that goes beyond that of Jesus' ministry and must be seen as expressing the bitter conflict between Pharisaic Judaism and the church of Matthew at the time when the gospel was composed. The complaint often made that the speech ignores the positive qualities of Pharisaism and of its better representatives is true, but the complaint overlooks the circumstances that gave rise to the invective. Nor is the speech purely anti-Pharisaic. The evangelist discerns in his church many of the same faults that he finds in its opponents and warns his fellow Christians to look to their own conduct and attitudes.
[1] Matthew 23:1-39 - The final section of the narrative part of the fifth book of the gospel is a denunciation by Jesus of the scribes and the Pharisees (see the footnote on Matthew 3:7). It depends in part on Mark and Q (compare with mark 12:38-39; Luke 11:37-52; 13:34-35, but in the main it is peculiar to Matthew. (For the reasons against considering this extensive body of sayings-material either as one of the structural discourses of this gospel or as part of the one that follows in Matthew 24, see the note on Matthew 19:1 - 23:39). While the tradition of a deep opposition between Jesus and the Pharisees is well founded, this speech reflects an opposition that goes beyond that of Jesus' ministry and must be seen as expressing the bitter conflict between Pharisaic Judaism and the church of Matthew at the time when the gospel was composed. The complaint often made that the speech ignores the positive qualities of Pharisaism and of its better representatives is true, but the complaint overlooks the circumstances that gave rise to the invective. Nor is the speech purely anti-Pharisaic. The evangelist discerns in his church many of the same faults that he finds in its opponents and warns his fellow Christians to look to their own conduct and attitudes.
[2] Matthew 23:2-3 - Have taken their
seat . . . Moses: it is uncertain whether this is simply a metaphor for Mosaic
teaching authority or refers to an actual chair on which the teacher sat. It
has been proved that there was a seat so designated in synagogues of a later
period than that of this gospel. Do and observe . . . they tell you: since the
Matthean Jesus abrogates Mosaic law (Matthew 5:31-42), warns His disciples against the teaching of the
Pharisees (Matthew 14:1-12), and, in this speech, denounces the Pharisees as blind
guides in respect to their teaching on oaths (Matthew 16-22), this commandment to observe all things whatsoever they
(the scribes and Pharisees) tell you cannot be taken as the evangelist's
understanding of the proper standard of conduct for his church. The saying may
reflect a period when the Matthean community was largely Jewish Christian and
was still seeking to avoid a complete break with the synagogue. Matthew has
incorporated this traditional material into the speech in accordance with his
view of the course of salvation history, in which he portrays the time of
Jesus' ministry as marked by the fidelity to the law, although with significant
pointers to the new situation that would exist after His death and resurrection
(see the footnote on Matthew 5;17-20). The crowds and the disciples (Matthew 23:1) are exhorted not to follow the example of the Jewish
leaders, whose deeds do not conform to their teaching (Matthew 23:3).
[4] Matthew
23:5 - To the charge of preaching but not practicing (Matthew 23:3), Jesus adds that of acting in order to earn praise. The
disciples have already been warned against this same fault (see the footnote on Matthew 6:1-18). Phylacteries: the Mosaic law required that during
prayer small boxes containing parchments on which verses of scripture were
written be worn on the left forearm and the forehead (see Exodus 13:9, 16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18). Tassels: see the footnote on Matthew 9:20. The widening of phylacteries and the lengthening of
tassels were for the purpose of making these evidences of piety more
noticeable.
[5] Matthew 23:6 - Compare with Mark 12:38-39. "Rabbi': literally, "my great one," a
title of respect for teachers and leaders.
[6] Matthew 23:8-12 - These verses,
warning against the use of various titles, are addressed to the disciples
alone. While only the title "Rabbi' has been said to be used in addressing
the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:7), the implication is that Father and "Master' also
were. The prohibition of these titles to the disciples suggests that their use
was present in Matthew's church. The Matthean Jesus forbids not only the titles
but the spirit of superiority and pride that is shown by their acceptance.
Whoever exalts . . . will be exalted: compare with Luke 14:11.
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Dear Humanity,
I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.
And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.
Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.