February 26, 2013

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Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent 
Lectionary: 231

Reading 1IS 1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!

Isaiah passes on a message from God to the people of Israel.

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.

Stop doing wrong and repent of your evil deeds!  

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!

Repent of your sins, says the Lord, and I will forgive you.  Though your soul may be black as night with sin, I can wash it clean.

Responsorial PsalmPS 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.

To the righteous, I will show my salvation.
I don't criticize you for your sacrifices.  Your offerings I always consider.  I take nothing from you by force, no sheep, goat or bull.

“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.

Why do you repeat my laws and teach my covenant?  And yet you despise self control and throw my words out?

“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.

When you despise all my teachings, do you expect me to ignore that?  Or do you think I am like you?  No.  I will bring all your sins to bear so that you may see them.  He that calls out to me in gratefulness gives me honor.  He that does good, I will save. 

GospelMT 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.

Jesus said to the people of Israel, "the Pharisees have the authority of Moses, therefore obey their teachings.  But do not imitate what they do."

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.’

"Because they are hypocrites who teach one thing but do another.  And they make many rules which make life difficulut for the people.    They love to do good in order to be seen and gain honor.   But will not lift a finger to do good otherwise.  They love to be honored by people, but the honor of God they do not seek.  And they love to be called, "teacher".

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.”

As for you, do not seek to be honored as a "Teacher".  For there is one Teacher, and you are all His sons.
Call no one on earth "your father", for you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not allow anyone to call you "master", for you have one Master, the Messiah.
The greatest of you is the servant of all.  Whoever honors himself will be abased.  Whoever abases himself will be glorified by God.

This is the verse which Protestant use against Catholics because we call our Priests "Father".  They conveniently forget that the other verses forbid calling anyone teacher, rabbi or master.

Teacher is simply the English word for the Hebrew, "Rabbi".  I have not met any Protestant who refuses to call their teacher, "Teacher".  Nor have I met one who refuses to call his father, "Father or Dad".  Nor one that refuses to be called Mister.  Mister is a variant of the word "master".  Mrs. is a variant of the same word.  It is actually the abbreviation for the word "mistress" but since that word now has a bad connotation, no one uses it in that form anymore except to mean an adultress.

The point here, that Jesus made, is that we should not be prideful and should acknowledge that all good things come from God.