Today's Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26 - Memorial of St. Monica Sometimes in life, we can find ourselves acting like the the pharisees. We may get so caught up in the minor details of life we forget the important things, like when we spend so much time and energy preparing all the little details of celebrating Christmas we forget to actually celebrate that Christ came. We may worry so much about how we look in other people's eyes that we neglect to think about how we look in God's eyes. Other times, we may be in a position that we need to admonish someone's behavior, as Jesus was in this passage. It struck me that Jesus doesn't simply point out the pharisees' misguided behavior, He also tells them what to do instead. Too often, it is so easy to criticize, without offering an alternative. Here Jesus also gives us a model of how to offer constructive criticism; to love the sinner and hate the sin.

Ponder:

In what areas of your life might you get caught up in the details and lose the big picture?

Pray:

Lord, grant us the humility to recognize when we are acting like pharisees. Create clean hearts in us.
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About the Author

Monica Portogallo

Monica Portogallo

Monica Portogallo is a mother and registered dietitian nutritionist who does her best not to miss the lessons God sends to her through the joys and struggles of daily life. She lives in California.