“Actions: Reflections of our Faith” by Colleen O’Sullivan

 “Actions:  Reflections of our Faith” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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.  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. (Isaiah 1:16-18)

 

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.  (Ezekiel 18:31)

 

Jesus spoke to the crowds and 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.  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.’ (Matthew 23:1-7) 

Piety

Lord, may my life truly be a reflection of my faith.

Study

In our first reading, taken from the very beginning of the Book of Isaiah, the prophet characterizes the people of God as no better than the people of Sodom or Gomorrah.  The sins of these two cities (Genesis 13 and 18) were so abhorrent to God that their cities were burned to the ground.  I would almost certainly be filled with despair if someone characterized my sins using that comparison.  However, the verses continue with God telling the people of Isaiah’s day that there is hope for them.  There is always the chance to confess and repent of their wrongdoing.  God is specific in this instance about how to do that.  The Lord tells the people that proof of their remorse would come from acts of justice and kindness toward the most vulnerable in their society, the orphans and widows.  When God sees these acts of compassion, our sins’ scarlet nature will be washed away, and they will be made clean and white as snow or lambswool. 

In the verse before the Gospel for today’s Mass, Ezekiel says we need new hearts and new spirits. 

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples and the rest of the people listening that although the Pharisees don’t set a good example with their behavior, we can’t simply dismiss them.  The bedrock for their belief is the Law of Moses, and that is good.  However, their actions aren’t in sync with what they preach.  They lay heavy burdens on the people and penalize them harshly for not following the intricacies of the Law.  They show themselves to be hypocrites because, for themselves, they seek public recognition and honor.  Their works are more for show than anything else.  They like having titles such as “Rabbi” bestowed on them.    

Action

During Lent, the Church invites us to prepare for Easter through prayer, fasting,
and giving to the poor.  It is a time to reflect on the state of our hearts, to own up to our sinfulness, and to turn away from it.  The good news in our Scripture readings today is that God offers forgiveness to the penitent and remorseful.  We are sinners, but we are loved sinners. 

In Isaiah’s day, God tells the people that how they pray needs to be congruent with how they live.  If they want to repent, they will take care of their widows and orphans, the most vulnerable among them.  Jesus says that the Pharisees say the right things, but their practices are not in sync with their words.  They claim Mosaic Law as their bedrock, but they lay heavy burdens on the people while desiring recognition, honor, and notable titles for themselves.  

When you pray today, reflect on what it means for God to call you “beloved son” or “beloved daughter.”  Reflect on whether you are living the life of a beloved child.  If not, if sinfulness is getting in the way, there’s always the opportunity to come to your senses, turn from your sin and run home to God, whose arms are open wide to receive us.

Both our Arlington Diocese and the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, are participating in “The Light is ON for You,” an initiative designed to provide many additional opportunities throughout this season of Lent to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  See your parish bulletin for times in your parish.