GOSPEL REFLECTION OF POPE FRANCIS- 08/28/23 (Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church)

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.

You do not enter yourselves,

nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.

You traverse sea and land to make one convert,

and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna

twice as much as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say,

'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,

but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'

Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,

or the temple that made the gold sacred?

And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,

but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'

You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,

or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;

one who swears by the temple swears by it

and by him who dwells in it;

one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God

and by him who is seated on it."

WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER:

Jesus had said about these people, these teachers, these doctors of the Law: “Woe to you who traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him worse than before. You make him a child of Gehenna” Jesus more or less says that in the 23rd chapter of Matthew (see v. 15). These people who were “ideological” had reduced the Law, the doctrine, to an ideology: “you have to do this, and this, and this…” A religion of prescriptions, and thus they took away the Holy Spirit’s freedom. And the people who followed them were rigid people, people who did not feel comfortable, they did not know the joy of the Gospel. The way of following Jesus to perfection was through rigidity: “You have to do this, this, this, and this”. These people, these doctors, “manipulated” the consciences of the faithful, or they made them become rigid, or they would go away. Because of this, I repeat this many times, and I say that rigidity is not from the good Spirit because it puts into question the free gift of the redemption, the free gift of Christ’s resurrection. (…) Justification is freely given. Jesus’s death and resurrection are gratuitous. You do not pay for it, it cannot be purchased: it is a gift! (Homily Santa Marta, 15 May 2020)

Source:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the Church—Memorial:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-28st-augustine-of-hippo

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth