God's Chosen People



"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world."


Today, we tend to think of the Pharisees as self-righteous hypocrites, but they were the preeminent scholars and respected teachers of the Law in Jesus’s time. The Jews were God’s beloved chosen people, and the Pharisees were the most learned and holy among them. The commandments were given to this great nation, as we hear in the Old Testament reading: a gift from the Lord to His beloved people, a nation close to God’s own heart, wise and intelligent.

Yet the Lord’s patience was tried again and again over the course of history. He watched His chosen people wander far from Him, failing to keep the precious covenant they were given. Finally, He came to them Himself, but even then they failed to recognize Him. They continued to seek after prestige and position, failing to understand that God desired their love and the true conversion of their hearts, and not just the outward appearance of sanctity.  

Sadly, they will lose their status as the chosen people. Because they do not recognize God among them, they will crucify the Lord of Lords, and the precious Covenant will be written on the hearts of a new people: those who believe in Jesus Christ.

But the gift of the New Covenant is not ours by birthright. We have no inherent right to salvation. God has loved us and come to us, but if we reject Him, He will allow us to do so. Our response to the free gift of God’s love must be sincere and from the heart. We must guard our hearts against “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly” - the evils that defile. Appearances and status are worthless before God, who sees right through us.

What a providential time for this reading, as we witness scandals unfolding in the highest ranks of the Church. Could the Church lose her status as the beloved and chosen of God? Surely true conversion must come quickly, in every heart, from the most learned and celebrated person to the smallest and most humble. Let us be on guard to keep our hearts “pure and undefiled,” and “unstained by the world.”




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