https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082626.cfm
Anesthesia Is Painless, But Watch Out.
How did people ever manage before anesthesia? They would bite down as hard as they could on a rag to endure the pain. Today, you don’t have to count to three or ten. You’re out cold as soon as you get the shot.
But watch out because when the anesthesia and the nerve block wear off, you’ll need strong medication to keep you as pain-free as possible. So I thought of anesthesia when I read today’s gospel.
Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, “You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, yet have neglected the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and fidelity. But these you should have done without neglecting the others.”
Sin is like anesthesia. It dulls us to the pain it brings into our lives and relationships. It starts with small things, and we think it’s okay when there are no consequences. But according to psychologists, behaviors become our norm within 4 to 6 weeks.
Then we do them unconsciously. With such mental and emotional anesthesia, small sins become big ones, ignored until we pay the price. Many thought after COVID they could watch Mass at home, eventually gave up going to Mass altogether on weekends.
Jesus understands that no one can pay the price for any sin, no matter how small. Because of this, He is firm with the scribes and Pharisees, hoping they will change and not pay the price that only He could settle on the cross—the absolution of sin we receive through a priest in Confession.
If we could absolve even the smallest sin, Jesus would not have had to suffer. Only God can absolve sin. Forgiveness restores a relationship. Absolution attacks sin and absolves it for eternity.
Gospel Challenge:
When we go a long time without Confession, it’s hard to remember what we’ve done wrong. So, before we lose the sense of the pain of sin, we make it a habit to go to Confession every four to six weeks or more. The Sacrament of Confession is the remedy that heals the infection, and His grace removes all traces of sin from us.
Love Your Neighbor!
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
