The Weightier Matters

Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time Year II
Texts: 2Thes. 2:1-3,14-18; Ps. 96:10-13; Matt. 23:23-26
Jesus Christ calls us today to re-assess ourselves. Many a time we focus on ephemeral and neglect the most important. Jesus Christ bids us to focus on the most important thing. He says,  "You tithe mint and dill and Cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others". Knowing the weightier matters in our lives helps to set priority right when there is a conflict of interest. Jesus proposes to us today three weightier matters: justice, mercy and faith. "Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour. Justice towards God is called 'virtue of religion.' Justice towards men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good" (CCC no:1807). 
"The woks of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbour in his Spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting, are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrong patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the imprisoned, and burying the dead" (CCC no:2447).
Faith is an act of obedience to the revealed truth: "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (CCC no:155). Faith comes when we give assent to the truth read, heard or taught. Hence, in today's first reading, Paul says, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter".
Jesus Christ wants us to be clean from inside; we become genuine and true when we are clean from inside. When we are only clean on the outside we are fake. When we are clean on the inside, we are authentic and true. We are clean from inside when we embrace mercy, justice and faith. When we are clean from inside, we will be able to defeat false teachings.

May God look with favour on us and make us to always long to be merciful, just and faithful. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke