nor do you allow others to do so.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ property; and
as a show, you pray long prayers! Therefore, you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe
to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to make
a single convert; yet, once he is converted, you make him twice as fit for hell as yourselves!
Woe to you, blind guides! You say: To swear by the temple is not binding; but, to swear by
the gold of the temple is binding. Foolish men! Blind men! Which is of more worth: the gold in
the temple, or the temple which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say: To swear by
the altar is not binding, but to swear by the offering on the altar is binding. How blind you
are! Which is of more value: the offering on the altar, or the altar which makes the offering
sacred? Whoever swears by the altar, is swearing by the altar and by everything on it.
Whoever swears by the temple, is swearing by the temple, and by God, who dwells in
the temple. Whoever swears by heaven, is swearing by the throne of God, and by him,
who is seated on it.
Reflect
Take a moment to think about what brought you to faith. It might have been a person,
perhaps a parent or grandparent or even a friend. It might have been an experience of
sadness or struggle or joy. Perhaps it was a piece of art or music or something that you
read. Maybe you can’t pinpoint exactly what it was. But even for people baptized as infants
and raised in the Church, there is typically a moment when you decide, “This is what I
believe, not because it’s what everyone around me believes, but because it is what
God has called me to believe.”
Having thought about your call to become a believer, it is good to take a cure from Paul
and his collaborators, giving thanks to God for this call and for the wonders God has
worked in your life – wonderful acts of charity and compassion and hope that help you
to share the joy of the Gospel.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023