First Reading - Amos 8:4-6,9-12
Gospel - Matthew 9:9-13
The first reading tells us about the disparity and chasm that crept into the lives of the people of Israel. The prophet Amos boldly reminds the rich and aristocrats who exploited their fellow Jews who were poor. This angered God greatly, and Amos, on behalf of God, chastises the rich and announces a destruction that God designs for the cruelty of the exploiters. The pronouncement of the destruction by Amos was a reminder for the people to transform themselves and once again reconcile with one another in justice and love.
The gospel passage also sheds light on the disparity and division that had occurred in the Jewish community due to separatism or sectarianism that crept into the community. The tax collectors and others consisted of a separate group of sinners, but the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees consisted of another group of the righteous; they offered sacrifices and observed the law of Moses, which reckoned them righteous. However, Jesus wanted to bridge the gap of separation into unity in the community. Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea 6:6: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." What Jesus intends to highlight is that mercy and forgiveness are more pleasing to God, for they include all people in His community and exclude no one. Hence, sacrifices and worship that create division and chasms can't be pleasing to God nor can make anyone righteous, but they must be interwoven with forgiveness and mercy offered to everyone, which build community and union.
My dear friends, we have a Christian community (which may include our communities in which we live) as a large community that consists of people from all walks of life. There could be tendencies to show the superiority of one group over the other or create groupism according to caste, color, or intellectual capacities, hence division and separation. These are the hiccups in the communities. Jesus forgives and shows His compassion and love to sinners to overcome the confines of separation and division. It's our prerequisite to check any such tendencies that contribute to division or separation among us and overcome them in our communities. Let us be quick to forgive one another for their failures and shortcomings if they are willing to correct themselves. This way, we can build happy communities. It's easy to condemn and treat our fellow brothers and sisters for our own advantage, which can only create division and separation, but Jesus tells us to overcome any barrier that creates division. Therefore, let's make forgiveness and mercy our quick access tools for our way of life. They can certainly build us together as a happy family.
May the unity of the community not be lost by our petty desires to be superior over others, but may God help us to promote unity and harmony in the communities.
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