YOU ARE LIKE GRAVES…

Romans 2:1-11

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.
2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things.3 Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 For he will render to every man according to his works:
7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
10 but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.
11 For God shows no partiality.

Luke 11:42-46

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
43 Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places.
44 Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you reproach us also.”46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  

MEDITATION

St PAUL address believers whose inexcusable sinful lives do not accord with the good news of Christ.It troubles Paul that those who stand in judgement of others, are not living exemplary lives! The inference of Paul’s teaching suggest that what man sow, he shall reap. God does not indulge in favoritism, instead He will judge man according to the quality of his works. Their is no denying that the moral compass of a believer is a key guide in determining whether he or she shall be damned or saved on the last day! 

THE GOSPEL READING: Jesus continue to respond to His dinner host who demanded that He sanitize his hands before sitting at table with him.Christ refers to the tithing principles that included a food gift which the priest would eat, preconditioned that he is in a state of purity.Against this backdrop, Jesus criticize His host for paying attention to trivial rules that gives a false impressing of external purity and goodness,whereas on the inside man is dead to hidden sin. 

In other words man has become thick skinned to the extent that grievous sins are considered to be normal,legal acceptable behavior! Finally Jesus question the legality of the Pharisaical prescripts whilst they themselves do not attempt to assist and bring to repentance those who struggle with grievous sin! You and I are called to take heed and resist man made rules that attempt regularize sinful behavior. Furthermore we must live exemplary holy lives whilst we charitable assist those who desire to change their ways to conform to the moral teachings of Christ Jesus as taught by the Church.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 62:2-3,6,7,9
2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.
3 How long will you set upon a man to shatter him, all of you, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
9 Men of low estate are but a breath, men of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

Author. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.