TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH 2024.

TWENTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

MEMORIAL OF SAINT MONICA, Widow.

FIRST READING   
“Hold to the traditions which you were taught by us.
2ND THESSALONIANS 2: 1 – 3a, 14 – 17

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. God has called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 96: 10, 11 – 12a, 12b – 13 (R.) 13b

R/. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Say to the nations, “The Lord is king.”
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness. R/.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad;
let the sea and all within it thunder praise.
Let the land and all it bears rejoice. R/.

Then will all the trees of the wood shout for
joy at the presence of the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice;
he will govern the peoples with his truth. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Hebrews 4: 12

Alleluia.
The word of the Lord is living and active discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL       
“These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
MATTHEW 23: 23 – 26

At that time: Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Chipiri 27 Nyamavhuvhu – August;

Kurangarira Monika Mutsvene –

Chiverengo chokutanga:
2 VaTesaronika 2,1-3a.14-16

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yechipiri yaPauro kuvaTesaronika
1 Panyaya yezvokuuya kwaTenzi wedu Jesu Kristu
nezvekuungana kwatichaita tichimuchingura,
tinokukumbirai hama 2 kuti musabva mapengereka nazvo, kana kuita manyawi nazvo, zvichibva
kumweya, kana kushoko, kana kutsamba zvinoita
sezviri kubva kwatiri zvichiti zuva raTenzi rasvika.
3 Ngaparege kuva nomunhu anokunyengedzai
nenzira ipi zvayo.
14 Izvi ndizvo zvaakakudaidzirai nokuparidza
kwedu Shoko Rakanaka kuti muwane mbiri
yaTenzi wedu Jesu Kristu. 15 Naizvozvo hama
dzangu, mirai makasimba makabatisisa magamu-
chidzanwa amakadzidziswa nesu nomuromo kana
kuti netsamba.
16 Zvino Tenzi wedu Jesu Kristu pachake naMwari
Baba vedu vakatida vakatipa kunyaradzwa kusina
mugumo nechitarisiro chakanaka 17 nenyasha, nga-
akunyaradzei mwoyo yenyu aisimbise mumashoko
nomumabasa ose akanaka.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira: Nziyo 96,10-13. (D – 13).

(D) – TENZI, anouya, anouya kuzotonga
nyika.
10 Taurai kumarudzi kuti, “TENZI ndiye anotonga,
hongu nyika yakanyatsosimba, haitsukunyuki,
achatonga marudzi zvine ruenzaniso.”
(D) – TENZI, anouya, anouya kuzotonga
nyika.
11 Matenga ngaafare, nyika ngaipururudze,
gungwa ngaritinhire nezvosewo zvizeremo,
12 sango ngarifare kwazvo, nezvosewo zvirimo.
(D) – TENZI, anouya, anouya kuzotonga
nyika.
Miti yomusango ndopaichadaidzira nokufara,
13 kufarira TENZI, nokuti anouya, anouya
kuzotonga nyika.
Achatonga nyika zvakarurama, achatonga
ndudzi zviri pachokwadi.
(D) – TENZI, anouya,
anouya kuzotonga nyika

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
VaHebheru 4,12

Areruya, Areruya. Shoko raMwari ibenyu,
uye rine simba. Rinopatsanurawo pfungwa
nezvinovavarirwa nomwoyo. Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Mateu 23,23-26

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMateu
Jesu akati: 23 “Zvichakuwanai imi nyanzvi dzomu-
temo nemi vaFarisei imi, vanyengedzi, nokuti
munobvisa chegumi chetunhu tunonhuwirira
tudikidiki twemindi nedhiri nekamini asi muchisiya
zvinhu zvikuru zvomutemo, nezvoruenzaniso
nezvetsitsi nechitendero. Izvi ndizvo zvamaifanira kuita musingaregi zvenyu zvimwe izvozvo. 24 Ma-
pofu avatungamiriri! Munotsutsa unyunyu asi
muchimedza ngamera.
25 Zvichakuwanai zvenyu imi nyanzvi dzomutemo
nemi vaFarisei, imi vanyengedzi, munosuka muko-
mbe nendiro kunze, asi mukati muzere nezvinhu
zvokupamba nezvoudyire. 26 Iwe bofu romuFarisei,
tanga washambidza mukati momukombe nendiro
kuti kunze kuve kwakachenawo.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

*GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Sanctuary Within You*_August 27, 2024__“Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:24–26)_Imagine if someone were to offer to wash the dishes after dinner and all they did was to wash the outside of the cups and bowls but left the inside untouched and then placed them back in the cupboard. The next time you would go to use them, you would find them looking good until you took them down and saw the dried liquid and food inside. This is the image that Jesus uses to describe the Pharisees. They only cared about the external appearance and ignored the more important interior of the soul.Jesus also used the contrasting images of straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel. This was a reference to the laws in Leviticus that forbade the Israelites from eating “swarming creatures,” such as gnats and other bugs, (Leviticus 11:41–45) as well as the meat of camels (Leviticus 11:4). Saying that the Pharisees “strain out the gnat and swallow the camel” was a figure of speech by which Jesus accused the Pharisees of distorting the smallest details of the law while ignoring the most important ones. For example, the Pharisees required everyone to strain all liquid before drinking it, just in case a gnat accidentally was present in that liquid, but they cared little about true justice when it came to killing the Son of God. For these reasons, the Pharisees had become “blind guides” and “hypocrites,” incapable of leading people to holiness.The bottom line is that Jesus is telling us that we must truly become holy, not just appear so. God sees the heart and judges the heart. The only other person who can see your heart is you. Therefore, we must also hear this condemnation of the Pharisees so that we will understand the importance of looking into our own souls first and foremost. From there, from the holiness within, our exterior will also radiate the holiness of God.https://youtu.be/hJn_xNfQYQ4?si=whLLQq27-x_gcvhMOne of the documents of Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, beautifully speaks to us about the conscience: “Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths” (#16). This “secret core and sanctuary” within us is what Jesus is most concerned about. Very often we are tempted to be far more concerned about how we look to others than how we truly are inside. For example, the person who lives a sinful double life may go to great lengths to look holy to others, doing all they can to hide their sin from others. On the contrary, someone might be living a very holy life but be falsely accused by another publicly, causing much pain. In the former case, as long as the person is not found out, they appear at peace. In the latter case, even though the person is living a good and holy life, if they are falsely accused, they may be tempted to despair as their public image is shattered.What others think and say about us is ultimately out of our control to a lesser or greater degree. What is within our control is that which is within us. Our interior life, that secret core, that sanctuary within where we meet God, must become the focus of our energies. Exteriorly, it ought not matter that others praise us or criticize us. What matters is that which is true, and only you and God can look into your heart to see that truth. The Pharisees failed to understand this essential truth. They put all their energy into their public image, neglecting that which was most important, making them incapable of leading others to God.*Reflect,* today, upon your soul. How often do you look inside yourself? Are you able to be honest with yourself, acknowledging your sin and being grateful for your virtue? Or are you among those who are more concerned with how you look to others? Turn your eyes to the secret sanctuary within because it is there, in that secret core, that you will meet God, grow in holiness and then radiate that true holiness within our world. When that happens, God will also be able to use you to be a true guide to holiness for others.*PRAYER:*_Lord of true holiness, You desire to cleanse my soul, and You invite me to meet You there within. Please give me the grace I need to care more about my holiness within than the external perceptions and judgments of others. May I become holy, dear Lord, and learn to become an instrument of that holiness for others. Jesus, I trust in You.