Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11, 42-46
The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”
Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”
Taxes
1. Legumes and spices. In life, you’ll meet people who pay close attention to insignificant details, but they aren’t considerate with those around them, and they don’t pay attention to the details of their own lives. This is why you must always be mindful of what you prioritize in your life, so that your life itself always remains a priority.
2. Seats. Among us, there are always people who want to stand out and show off to others. Some even seek to belong to a parish or a church movement only if they can get an official role or position where they will be seen. I recall a community member who, when I asked her to stop doing a certain parish duty, went to a different parish just to offer her service to be seen again in a new community. In that case, you realize that some people are capable of doing whatever it takes to be noticed, using their service to stand out, instead of understanding that true service is about fading into the background.
3. They Impose. I believe that for a long time, the Church has operated with an accusatory finger. That’s why many people have distanced themselves from the Church and from all religious communities, because they’ve become places that impose and judge rather than propose and welcome. I’m not saying we should enable bad behavior, but we have imposed the gospel in many places and even manipulated people with threats of hell and condemnation. Today, Jesus is again inviting us to propose the freshness of the gospel.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
