Wednesday 28 August 2024

Today is Wednesday the 28th of August, the feast of Saint Augustine, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. One Hope project sings, ‘Come Close’. Spend a moment asking the Lord to come close to you now as you begin this time of prayer. Come close My heart is ready Come close My heart is here Draw near I’m longing for You Draw near My love All I’ve ever wanted All I’ve ever wanted All I’ve ever wanted is found in You This moment is ours I won’t rush away Jesus Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 23:27-32 ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.’ If Jesus was in angry prophet mode in yesterday’s readings, today’s are even worse! He has no time for religious complacency and self-satisfaction but calls us to humility and honesty. What is your response to that call? Jesus emphasises interior faith rather than outward religious show. He challenges religious people, as many critical non-believers do today. God sees what is in our innermost heart, even when that contrasts with our outward behaviour. How do you feel in the face of that? As we hear the reading repeated, allow Jesus’ words to resonate within you. What words of his particularly catch your attention in response? Jesus clearly found the resistance to his words and actions by religious leaders a cause of deep frustration and disappointment. If you had been there to hear him, what might you have wanted to say? What do you want to say to him now? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.