The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses

26 FEBRUARY (Mt 23,1-12)

The false teaching of the scribes, Pharisees, priests, theologians, teachers and doctors is the real curse in the faith. It is a cancer, plague and deadly virus of the faith. All the prophets rise up against it. They are sent to put on the lamp stand of the consciences and hearts the most pure truth of God. That is how Malachi warns the priests.

Oh, that one among you would shut the temple gates to keep you from kindling fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts; neither will I accept any sacrifice from your hands, For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; For great is my name among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you behave profanely toward me by thinking the Lord’s table and its offering may be polluted, and its food slighted. You also say, “What a burden!” and you scorn it, says the Lord of hosts; You bring in what you seize, or the lame, or the sick; yes, you bring it as a sacrifice. Shall I accept it from your hands? says the Lord. Cursed is the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, but under his vow sacrifices to the Lord a gelding; For a great King am I, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

And now, O priests, this commandment is for you: If you do not listen, And if you do not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send a curse upon you and of your blessing I will make a curse. Yes, I have already cursed it, because you do not lay it to heart. Lo, I will deprive you of the shoulder and I will strew dung in your faces, The dung of your feasts, and you will be carried off with it. Then you will know that I sent you this commandment because I have a covenant with Levi, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace; fear I put in him, and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name. True doctrine was in his mouth, and no dishonesty was found upon his lips; He walked with me in integrity and in uprightness, and turned many away from evil. For the lips of the priest are to keep knowledge, and instruction is to be sought from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to falter by your instruction; You have made void the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, Since you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your decisions. (Mal 1,6-2,9).

Faith is attacked by external, visible and avid enemies, that fight it using every weapon, from satire, to scorn, derision, to the very killing of those who profess it. These enemies are known and one can also protect and defend himself from them. The most dangerous enemies, because they are subtle and hidden, are within it. These destroy the faith by teaching it falsely, wrongly and with deception. The evils that these invisible enemies cause to faith are more than an incurable gangrene, more than a hidden cancer, much more than a perennial disease.

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens 3 (hard to carry) and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

From where to start to keep the faith in its purity of origin? From the great humility. Humility makes us pleasing to God and men, dear to the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus. Who is humble, who stands always in the last place, who seeks the service of charity and love for the brothers; he is always guarded by the Lord in the purity of his truth. Humility is the mother of truth, while pride is the mother of all lies. A humble person is unlikely to be false. On the contrary, a superb is never true. He is a master of deceit.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints teach us true humility.