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At about the 5th century BC when those exiled to Babylon returned
to Jerusalem, there was a great emphasis on outward ritual in
worship. This had been necessary in exile to preserve the Jewish
national identity. However, this degenerated into religious
ceremonial widely upheld with superstitious regard unrelated to
the people's own moral behaviour. Scepticism, religious apathy
and contempt for morality was widespread. To the prophet who
wrote Isaiah 58, the life of his countrymen seemed sadly unworthy
and unclean because of its contrast with the moral holiness of
God who cared enough to use the prophet to denounce them for
their injustices and wrongs. The lack of genuine concern for
those in need is evident even today amongst us who claim to
practise true religion but who are more concerned with empty
ritual only. In Jesus' time this same concern with ritual for its own sake, as in the case of fasting, led to the Pharisees' critical questioning of Jesus about His disciples apparently lax behaviour. Jesus' answer placed the emphasis on the motive for fasting, not on the action of fasting itself. The aim of all spiritual life is union with God and this union is only possible when His will is done and when we celebrate His presence with us and in His people around us. Fasting is only significant when we have the correct motive of joining our will to His. Lord, You who love sincerity of heart, spurn not our genuinely contrite and humble hearts. Amen. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That, with the committed help of all believers, the
scourge of poverty may come to an end, eliminating the
intolerable social and economic inequality in the world
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One might also say that poverty is the negation of economic and
social rights and that the poor who suffer from absolute poverty
are denied the most fundamental right which is the right to life.
The international community too is becoming progressively more
aware of the gravity of the problem and has declared solemnly to
fight and reduce extreme poverty by 2015. Besides, how can we not
realise the situation growing worse in spite of the increase in
available resources. The problem of unequal distribution of resources in its correct setting is an ethical one, since it is a problem of justice: the poor are in the first place victims of injustice. In the era of globalisation we can no longer tolerate a world in which the very rich live side by side with the poor, the property less who lack even the essentials with people who shamelessly waste what others desterately need. One of the more evident worrying consequences of this phenomenon is in fact the progressive increase instead of the decrease of inequalities, in both poor countries and rich countries, and between the North and South. Let us pray that the scourge of poverty may come to an end | |
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