Detail of a bronze statue erected c.1588 and placed on the top of the Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome, in the Piazza Colonna. Fr Lawrence Lew, OP flickr CCL
Meditation
Thursday, Ordinary 27, Proper 22 dealt with falsehood—head on. The Old Testament lesson instructed people to not tell falsehoods, whether against an enemy, a frienemy, a neighbor, or anyone. They were not to be swayed by bribes, prejudices or preferences.
“Don’t tell falsehoods.” Period.
The New Testament lesson carried the falsehood theme, with false rules that church leaders place on other believers. Church leaders were not to make up rules that were based on falsehoods—about what to eat or not to eat; or that people shouldn’t drink; or other rules that arise out of ideas of leaders. Some of the early church leaders claimed to have visions of angels and worshipped them instead of God.
But church leaders were not the only ones addressed. Every individual was told that they were responsible for not following false rules. If some church leader said something was a rule, the individual was responsible for testing that it was from God and not made up rules of human concoction.
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