Daily Retreat 07/07/06

2006 Jul 7 Fri: Ordinary Weekday
Am 8: 4-6. 9-12/ Ps 118(119): 2. 10. 20. 30. 40. 131/ Mt 9: 9-13

 

From today’s readings:  “Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the word of the LORD....  Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God....  Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”

 

Calling All Sinners!

 

The Gospels are clear: a self-righteous person is worse off than a confessed sinner.  For the whole message and ministry of Jesus extends to all sinners a warm but firm call to redemption, repentance and reconciliation.  And many sinners, miserable in their present state of life, are looking and listening for Jesus, and thus ready to respond when they encounter Him.

 

But the self-righteous are generally not looking or listening for Jesus, for they don’t see much need for Him in their lives.  So they don’t respond to His call for redemption, repentance, and reconciliation because they find it difficult to relate such notions to themselves.

 

At the time of Jesus, the self-righteous Pharisees considered themselves “on track,” and everyone else “off track.”  Nowadays, many of the self-righteous are more generous, because, by mitigating the reality of sin, not only do they consider themselves “on track,” but practically everyone else as well!  As long as they’re not terrorists, or child molesters, or whatever the worst sinner is in this week’s headlines, they consider themselves and most others as “basically good people.”

 

While the Gospel affirms the intrinsic goodness of all human life, that does not negate the tragedy of Original Sin and the reality of personal sin, so these must be recognized and addressed as well.  Just as earnestly as ever, Jesus today still calls all sinners to redemption, repentance, and reconciliation, and the self-righteous still ignore Him, simply because they figure He’s talking to someone else....