Today’s readings offer us much food for thought during this Lenten season. The first reading, while addressed to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, is no less relevant today. While some of the temptations may have been different at that time from today, the challenge to keep God’s laws is common to the people at all times. The sins of self-gratification, selfishness, inequality oppression of the weak and related sins must also have been widely prevalent at that time since they were exhorted to help the powerless, avoid sin, repent and seek forgiveness from our merciful God to obtain His blessings. Isaiah’s message is equally relevant and instructive to us today.

The psalm resonates with the first reading, pointing to the failure to keep God’s laws and the reproof that follows as a consequence; while praising and worshipping Him leads to salvation.
On the same theme, the Gospel proclamation, is much more stern. Our Lord Jesus Christ does not mince his words. While He instructs His followers to observe the laws taught by the scribes and Pharisees because they are the laws handed by God to Moses and from him to the scribes and Pharisees, Our Lord Jesus cautions the people (and us) from behaving as their leaders did. He castigates the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy; for making burdensome rules for everyone else but not lifting a finger to help anyone struggling to ob- serve them; for being obsessed with status; appearances and titles. By way of contrast, Jesus teaches us to avoid seeking honourable titles, treating everyone as equal to ourselves and acknowledging and accepting God as our only Master.The human urge to seek distinction and honour is no different today than in Jesus’ day. Is it not easy to be tempted to pursue advancement in our careers, wealth and social recognition at the expense of time for prayer and inculcating in our children the Christian beliefs and values that our Lord Jesus proclaims in today’s Gospel? In elbowing our way to the top of the career ladder, do we compromise on the ethical standards of fairness to others? In pursuing self-gratification, whether in the form of wealth or addictive behaviour, are we oblivious to the plight of other people, whether in our family, community or even in other parts of the world?

Prayer: Abba Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts to infuse us with love for you and our fellow people less better off than ourselves. Amen