Woe to You

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

"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. Matthew 23:13

Piety

"In prayer, God keeps calling us, opening our hearts to charity."

— Pope Francis

Light a candle and say a prayer for your loved ones and our brothers and sisters in need around the world from Sierra Leone to the Texas Gulf Coast. Your intentions will be remembered at Mass offered in St. Stephen's Chapel at Catholic Relief Services world headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.

Study

The 14 Woes of the scribes and Pharisees begin to be enumerated right here.  And it starts with exactly the opposite of what Peter was charged with doing.  Jesus, in the Mass readings for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, charged Peter with keys to the Kingdom and trusted Peter to use these appropriately to open the doors of faith wide to all seekers:

“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19

The promise of the keys is given to Peter alone.  Yet, one day later, we encounter Jesus calling woe down upon the scribes and Pharisees for locking up the doors of faith entrusted to Peter. Peter is entrusted to open the doors of faith to those who wish to pass.  Today, Jesus charges that the authority of the scribes and Pharisees is exercised in such a way as to be an obstacle to entrance.

Action

A true spiritual director is not a person who creates walls that you have to scale.  Instead, a true spiritual director points you to the ladders that will help you climb to new spiritual heights.

Today, you can unlock the Kingdom by rebuilding it house-by-house in Texas.  According to a statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the USCCB:

“Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast in a catastrophic and devastating way this weekend, bringing with it severe flooding and high winds which have taken human life caused countless injuries, and severely damaged homes and property throughout the region. The effects of this storm continue to put people in harm’s way, with horrific scenes playing out all around, such as those of people trapped on their rooftops as water continues to rise around them. Many dioceses of the Church in the United States have been affected; many others will be as the storm continues.

As the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, this crisis hits very close to home. In solidarity with my brother bishops in this area of the country, I call on people of faith to pray for all of those who have been impacted by this Hurricane, and I ask people of good will to stand with the victims and their families. May God, the Lord of mercy and compassion, protect all who are still in danger and bring to safety those who are missing. May He care in a special way for those who were already homeless, or without support and resources, before this disaster. We pray in thanksgiving for the first responders who are risking their lives to save others at this very moment. We include in our intentions the everyday heroes reaching out to help their neighbors in need, those who, like the Good Samaritan, cannot walk by a person in need without offering their hand in aid.

The USCCB is working closely with affected local dioceses, Catholic Charities USA and St. Vincent de Paul, along with other relief organizations, to assess the needs on the ground. In the next couple of days, we will share more about the best ways to assist those in the Gulf region with material needs based on the latest information we can gather. May God bless you and your families this day and always

Find a reputable charity in the area hardest hit by the storm and give funds directly to that organization. Now is not the time to send clothes, food or other gifts in kind.  Do NOT collect stuff for hurricane and flood victims. Give cash to reputable, established organizations you've heard of like these two:

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston

For nearly 75 years, people have helped Catholic Charities provide help and create hope to more than 82,000 people annually as they create better lives for themselves and their families.

With your gift in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Catholic Charities can provide food, clothing, shelter and a network of support services to those dealing with the aftermath of this disaster from all walks of life and religious backgrounds.

To make a gift by mail, send your check made out to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to 2900 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77006. To make a gift by phone call 713-874-6654.

"Whenever we do something together, something good, something beautiful, everyone changes. All of us change in some way and this does us good."

— Pope Francis