Many people reject the Catholic Church because of the teaching that divine revelation consists of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. They say that Jesus condemned tradition. St. Paul has something else to say, as we see in today’s first reading from 2 Thessalonians 2.
In the Gospel reading from Matthew 23, we hear Jesus calling the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites again. He says to them, “You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgement and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.”
Sound familiar? It should, if you’ve been listening to Pope Francis at all. This message has been a hallmark of his papacy. Some have criticized this Pope for not hammering the topics of abortion, same-sex marriage, etc. Pope Francis does not suggest that those teachings be thrown out, or that we stop talking about them. He is simply saying that there are weightier things (like love, compassion and mercy) that need to be brought out first.
Father, teach us to speak of love and compassion and mercy, without neglecting other important issues. Help us to find the proper balance each time we speak. Amen.
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