Woe to you, blind guides

26 AUGUST (Mt 23,13-22)

The one of Jesus is a prophetic “trouble”, a condemnation without appeal of the falsehood that governs the mind, heart and body of men. It is a denunciation made in the name of God, by his command, will and desire, so that man can repent in order to enter into life. In such a sense Jesus is a true prophet, more than Isaiah and every one else. He is the truth itself.

An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood(Is 1, 4). Woe to the wicked man! All goes ill, with the work of his hands he will be repaid (Is 3, 11). Woe to you who join house to house, who connect field with field, Till no room remains, and you are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land! (Is 5, 8). Woe to those who demand strong drink as soon as they rise in the morning, And linger into the night while wine inflames them! (Is 5, 11). Woe to those who tug at guilt with cords of perversity, and at sin as if with cart ropes! (Is 5, 18). Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! (Is 5, 20). Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem! (Is 5, 21). Woe to the champions at drinking wine, the valiant at mixing strong drink! (Is 5, 22). Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and who write oppressive decrees (Is 10, 1). From the end of the earth we hear songs: “Splendor to the Just One!” But I said, “I am wasted, wasted away. Woe is me! The traitors betray: with treachery have the traitors betrayed! (Is 24, 16). Woe to the majestic garland of the drunkard Ephraim, To the fading blooms of his glorious beauty, on the head of him who is stupefied with wine (Is 28, 1). Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add year to year, let the feasts come round (Is 29, 1). Woe to those who would hide their plans too deep for the Lord! Who work in the dark, saying, “Who sees us, or who knows us?” (Is 29, 15). Woe to the rebellious children, says the LORD, Who carry out plans that are not mine, who weave webs that are not inspired by me, adding sin upon sin (Is 30, 1). Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who depend upon horses: Who put their trust in chariots because of their number, and in horsemen because of their combined power, But look not to the Holy One of Israel nor seek the Lord! (Is 31, 1). Woe, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; when wearied with betraying, you will be betrayed (Is 33, 1).

Scribes and Pharisees live a very sad time in their lives. They are fossilized in a religiosity without any breath of humanity, justice, truth, holiness, mercy, piety, compassion and charity. They live only of sinful appearance. How to shake them from their slumber? How to convince them that their world is all wrapped up by falsehood, lies, deceit and by the complete lack of the true God in their lives? How to bring to true conversion? Only through the use of a strong, resolute and firm prophecy. Only by means of a complaint revealing their sinful nothingness.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.

What today Christ the Lord does must be done every day by his Church and in her every one of her children. But not against the world. But against herself, her religion, faith, hope and charity, asceticism, theology, mysticism and morality. If the Church does not evangelize herself, she might never evangelize the world and if she does not repent she might never become an instrument and sacrament of conversion for the world. He converts who gets converted.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints wake us up from our torpor.