Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Locking the Kingdom of heaven before men.
This is a chilling statement by Jesus on how we can be guilty of creating artificial barriers to the kingdom.
He cited three examples.
1. Hypocrisy – saying one thing, doing another.
2. Recruiting people to mold them into a child of Gehenna (Hell).
3. Swearing (oath making) in gold and gift (things) rather than true worship to and of the person of God.
We must use our critical thinking skills to evaluate our own behaviors.
1. Do we ‘practice what preach’?
2. Do we teach extra-dogmatic rules, functions that draw a person away from the Lord in a double effect? Policy over Beatitudes. Ideology over scripture.
3. Things over persons. Oaths over commitment.
The center of our faith is persons. We are enlightened by the person of the Holy Spirit. We are created by the Father’s divine Love. We are Friends of God in Jesus as we follow him in his path, body, soul, and ministry.
Let’s commit anew to not creating artificial barriers but strike down the barriers of hypocrisy, ‘my ideology’, and possessions possessing our minds and actions.
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry