MONDAY, FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor
Is 1:10-17 Ps 50:8-9,16-17,21,23 Mt 10:34 — 11:1
AVOID EVIL, DO GOOD
The first reading makes a distinction between acts of religion (its precepts and obligations, rites and rituals) and acts of faith (that flow from the heart). Ideally, these two exist in a harmonious relationship in the practice of religion. God rejects the acts of religion of the Israelites because of their “wrong-doing,” their hypocrisy. He desires rather that they “cease to do evil” and “learn to do good.”
A reflection on these two acts will help us understand what true Christian living implies. To cease to do evil, we need to know what is evil, what is sinful. We get this knowledge through ‘catechesis’, which makes Scripture relevant to our time and situation. Catechesis comes to us primarily through the homilies of the priest at mass, but also through other means, like the Pope’s teachings, the documents of the Church, and reflections on God’s Word. The question before us therefore is this: How diligent am I in catechizing myself? How much of a priority is it that my children are catechized? Do I dialogue with them about faith, about sin?
Doing good needs to be learnt. We are often satisfied with the ‘good’ persons that we are because our fidelity to the acts of religion, and the ‘good’ that we do with our occasional acts of charity. Let us not forget though, the words of the Gospel: “No one is good, except God alone.” (Mk 10:18). Thus, doing good is imitating God; i.e., imitating the life of Jesus, or as St Paul says, ‘having the mind of Christ’ in all things. Hence, the good that we think we are doing must be discerned before the mirror of the life of Christ. Unfortunately, the more pertinent question before us is something much more basic and foundational: Am I convinced that ‘doing good’ is an essential part of my Christian calling, or do I think that as long as I ‘avoid evil’ I’m a good-enough Christian?
Response: To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.
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