"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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