Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
August 22, 2022
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”
In today’s gospel, Jesus again calls out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes, but this time, Jesus is not engaging in a discourse that cleverly exposes this hypocrisy. Instead, Jesus is doing all the talking, giving a series of woes, a Greek word expressing grief.
He displays his grief by condemning the Pharisees’ behavior, highlighting that their motives are insincere and their actions are intended only to be seen and approved by others. These religious leaders were show-offs seeking prestige and praise. Jesus tells the people of Israel not to imitate this behavior. In other words, to use the old adage, “Do as they say, not what they do.”
Jesus’ words continue to have a great impact today. They should cause us to ask, what motivates our behavior? Are we acting sincerely in service to God with humility, or do we seek attention or praise in the workplace, home, and parish community? Do we, like the Pharisees, view ourselves better than others based on economic or social status?
This was borne out to me during a recent mission trip to assist seminarians in Uganda. Despite dealing with the constant challenges of poverty, the Ugandans are some of the most welcoming people in the world, filled with much joy, faith, love of God, and humility.
They made me the center of attention as a guest from the United States, something the Pharisees would have loved. But in the process, they brought today’s gospel to life to me in vivid detail in a way I never experienced before.
Seek not attention or material things, base your acts on sincere, morally right motives, and strive to be a humble servant of God spreading love. A pretty good road map for how to live.
Prayer
Lord, although you call on our leaders, like you call on all of us, to practice what we preach and believe, never let us use the failings and transgressions of our leaders as an excuse to slack in our own following of your Son, so that in remaining faithful to his teachings, we may follow him home to heaven. Amen.
Saint of the Day
With this feast day the Church proclaims that Mary is Queen of Heaven because she so closely collaborated with Christ in the plan of salvation.
We call Jesus “Lord” and celebrate the feast of Christ the King in November, all the while recalling that his kingship is defined by his willingness to lay down his life for us. This model of leadership through service was taken up perfectly by Mary.
Mary laid down her life for us as well—she set herself aside when she said “yes” to God’s invitation to bear Jesus into the world. From that moment on, she remained close to Jesus, walking with him for every step of his earthly journey—including his ministry, suffering, and death. This closeness is depicted in an image in the Cavanaugh Hall chapel—Mary contemplates a crown of thorns while holding the infant Jesus.
This is why we revere Mary as Queen—we recognize her special place in the plan of salvation, while recalling that her queenship is really a participation in the lordship of Jesus. This is our calling as well—to conform ourselves to Christ by laying down our lives as Mary did.
This feast falls a week after the feast of Mary’s Assumption because major feasts in the Church are celebrated for a period of eight days (known as an “octave”). Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven is imagined in several scenes in the Basilica and in chapels across campus. The reliquary in the Basilica contains a fragment of Mary’s veil.
Mary, Queen of Heaven, you laid down your life with Christ, pray for us!