Jeremiah condemned the superstition of the people of his time. Some of them believed that simply because they possessed the temple in Jerusalem, God would favour them. Their triple invocation, "the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," was the indication of their superstition. It was as if they were saying, "With the temple of the Lord in our midst, what more need be done?" Jeremiah's response was that the more to be done was to live an upright life.

We Catholics have not always been immune from superstition. In most places after Vatican II there has been a lessening of reliance on certain practices which were supposed to guarantee getting to heaven or at least being released quickly from purgatory. Please note that the practices were not bad; thinking that the practices without a good, moral life would be beneficial was bed. Perhaps what we need these days is not so much a warning against superstition as a proper understanding of our relationship without God.

We should never think that the purpose of a good life is to buy or purchase or merit heaven or good things in this life. God grants his grace freely.

In the Gospel Jesus says that at harvest time the weeds will be burned, but the good wheat will be gathered into the barn. We will be gathered into the loving arms of God, not because of some superstition, but because God loves us and we have chosen not to reject that love.