Thursday - 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Luke 11:47-54
Woe/Whoa!
Wailing Wall, Jerusalem
Who doesn’t love a good homonym!
WOE! Woe to you, you hypocrites! Shame on you! You demand strict observance of the Law from the people but you flaunt the Law in your own lives! Your actions are at such odds with what you teach! I don’t think I realized, until these past couple of days, how extended of a discourse Jesus had with the Pharisees. It was not just a one shot and done. Time and time again His harsh language calls them out as hypocrites. Once was certainly not enough!
WHOA! Stop! Just stop what you’re doing! Quit it! Cease and desist! (OK, synonyms are pretty cool too!) And yet, in a way, as often as Jesus battles with the Pharisees and Scribes, He doesn’t give up on the hope that they will listen and heed His words! As harsh as the language may be, Jesus continues to give them an opportunity to change! This is not a ‘one and done’! Just look at today’s Responsorial Psalm and the Alleluia verse. “With the Lord, there is mercy and redemption.” “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” Salvation is there if they only stop and change their ways!
This is a reminder to us all that we are called by God to a Christian life, not once but as many times as it takes for us to get the message! If you, O LORD, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.
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