Homily for Tuesday, 3 March 2015‒ Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

Readings of the day: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23; Matthew 23:1-12

Is there any way to soften the harshness of our readings today? Perhaps this is the wrong question to ask. And yet today our Liturgy of the Word presents us with two of the most scathing criticisms of people supposedly of faith, of religious authorities especially, in the entire Bible. Are not our readings today difficult for us to hear? They are shocking and also challenging to me as a priest!

Our first reading, from Isaiah, is a tale of two nations, or the same nation present and future. The nation present, Israel of Isaiah’s time, is prosperous but has forgotten the prime importance of justice toward the least well-off: the poor, “the wronged… the orphan” and “the widow.” Could I say that, without trivializing the problem of addiction and substance abuse in our own society, the people of Israel of Isaiah’s time had become addicted to injustice? Isaiah forewarns his people that they, like an addict, will hit rock bottom if they persist in evil, oppression, and injustice toward those most in need.

But Isaiah’s message is unsuccessful at first; Israel hits rock bottom. Only then will the people, the nation future, possibly be willing to listen to Isaiah. And so we hear the second half of our reading: “Come now; let us set things right.” Sins that were once “like scarlet” and “crimson red” may now become “white as snow” or “as wool.” God waits with open arms and heart of mercy to lift the sinner, the addict to evil habits, oppression, and injustice, up from rock bottom. Do we accept God’s mercy when we have sinned; misused our prosperity; not acted justly toward the least well off: The working poor; the migrant or refugee; the unemployed; the homeless person? Or do we allow ourselves to hit rock bottom? Do we allow “the sword to consume” us?

And Jesus is just as scathing as Isaiah before him toward “the scribes and the Pharisees” of his time. They have become prosperous and proud of their teaching position, seated “on the chair of Moses”; guardians of religious law. They have taken fancy titles, “places of honor at banquets” and in places of worship. They wear garments that draw attention to themselves instead of toward God as these “tassels” and “phylacteries,” which contained short passages of Scripture for prayer and meditation, were intended. The “scribes and Pharisees” will not help others to observe the religious law, and in fact make the law more difficult for all to observe.

Are not the same temptations present in our world and even in our Church? I am challenged to pray constantly that I do not succumb to any prestige of the priesthood, of ordained leadership in our Church.

I ask all of us: Pray for me. I ask us to pray for our society’s leaders; for one another. Prosperity, prestige, wealth, power: These are not in and of themselves bad. But without recourse to God’s grace and mercy, these can pave the way to rock bottom; to addiction to injustice; to consumption by “the sword” in Isaiah’s words. With God’s grace and mercy, these can be used justly; rightly; to benefit especially those in most need.