Practices which impair our vision

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary recall the mandate for those who are on the journey to greater intimacy with the Divine to see and act against the hypocrisy which we are liable to live when our vision of the people who need help to be restored to inclusion in the social, political, economic life of our society are forgotten. Amos points out the economic practices in the society of the kingdom of Israel which, as Friar Jude Winkler comments, reduced the poor to slavery. Friar Jude points to how we "observe the Sabbath". That time to be in communion with God through prayer, reflection and family is so often treated as superficial religiosity around getting our "obligation" to attend Church done at a convenient time and place. We see Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew give us the example of the desire of the Father to bring back all people to intimate life with God. The idea from the Jewish tradition, in Jesus time, that sinners needed to be categorized as "unclean" and that religious people needed to fear the contagion of their sin is totally rejected as Jesus shares meals with the ostracized who need to be healed precisely by inclusion in the life of the community. This radical action of Jesus to offer mercy, love and real hands on involvement in the lives of those we prefer to ignore creates great questions for we, who know better, about our commitment to walk with Him.