Phylacteries and Tassels

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today presents Jesus discussion of the phylacteries and tassels of the Pharisees in the passage from the Gospel of Matthew. Friar Jude Winkler tells us of the beginning of the mission of the Prophet Isaiah when he experiences the holiness of God in the Temple and is confronted with the difference between the holy life with God that his people and we are called to and the life which we lead which the Scripture text compares to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Robert P. Heaney of CreightonUniversity encourages us to avoid the comfortable thinking that we are different from the people in the time of Isaiah and Jesus. The lack of justice for the oppressed and marginalized in our culture is there for our eyes to see. Heaney confronts us with our ability to be less charitable to those who have become outcast from our circles because of bad choices they made. The truth in prophesy of Isaiah is that God is Love for all regardless of the circumstances which place us apart from Him. Our turn around to follow Him to holiness is the direction in which we will be empowered to Love all. The notion of kinship in the Middle East in Jesus time, as now, is strong. Jesus calls us to attend to all as kin, “brothers and sisters”. The religious practice of phylacteries and tassels, noted in the YAHSWORD blog, is an aid to remind the wearer of the first place of God and the pursuit of holiness in our mind. This pursuit of holiness is in the humble service of the widow and orphan, marginalized and forgotten. The details of religious observance such as the design of garments are to reinforce that the work for God is to be done at the highest level of our attention. Creighton’s Heaney discusses some areas where modern Christians continue to lay heavy burdens on the brother and sisters that Jesus invites us too relate to as kin. He is encouraged, as we should be, by the non-judgmental approach he sees in the words of Pope Francis that our turn around may be near.