Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 18, 2025

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent, March 18, 2025

Today’s Readings, from the USCCB:

Reading 1

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20

Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!

Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold."

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

"Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?"

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

"When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."

R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Verse Before the Gospel

Ezekiel 18:31

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

Gospel

Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.' As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."Bottom of Form

 

 

What Does Real Faith Look Like?

"They preach but they do not practice." – Matthew 23:3

I have a complicated relationship with faith.

Not because I don’t believe in God – I do.

I’ve never stopped believing.

But there are days when I feel disconnected, when I sit in Mass and look around, wondering how many of us are just going through the motions.

I see the routines – the kneeling, the standing, the reciting of prayers. I hear the words I’ve heard a thousand times before. And sometimes, I wonder – Is this what real faith is supposed to feel like?

Because there are times when I don’t feel anything at all.

And then, I hear Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel, and it hits me.

Faith isn’t about looking the part.

It’s about being the part.

And that’s something I struggle with.

Faith Beyond the Surface

Jesus calls out the Pharisees because their faith was for show.

They wanted to be seen as holy, but their hearts weren’t actually transformed. They placed burdens on others but refused to lift a finger themselves. They were more concerned with appearing righteous than actually living righteously.

And I have to ask myself – Am I any different?

When I go to Mass, but do I participate, or do I just sit there?

I say I believe in mercy, but do I extend it to the people who have hurt me?

I talk about trusting God, but how often do I try to control everything myself instead?

Because the truth is, I have a hard time letting go when people wrong me.

When someone spreads gossip about me, I don’t forget it.

When someone says something cruel, I carry those words longer than I should.

When someone does something out of spite or for their own revenge, I struggle to let go of the unfairness of it.

Even when I forgive, the scar remains.

So when I hear Jesus say, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted," I wonder – what does humility look like when I’m still holding onto my own wounds?

What Am I Holding Onto?

"Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit." – Ezekiel 18:31

A new heart.

A new spirit.

That’s what God is offering.

But here’s the thing – none of us (myself included) can receive something new if we’re still holding onto the old.

And the truth is, I hold onto a lot.

I hold onto my wounds, replaying them in my mind, keeping them fresh.

I hold onto my doubts, wondering if God really sees me, if He’s really with me, if my prayers are being heard.

I hold onto this feeling that I’m disconnected from my faith – like I’m standing just outside of something I want to fully embrace but don’t know how.

And that’s the part of today’s reading that hits hardest.

Because faith isn’t about going through the motions.

It isn’t about showing up, saying the right things, and hoping that’s enough.

It’s about transformation.

It’s about surrender.

It’s about letting go of everything that’s keeping me from experiencing God the way I want to.

But how do I do that?

What Does Real Faith Look Like?

That’s the question I keep coming back to.

Is real faith something I’m supposed to feel all the time?

Is it about absolute certainty, never questioning, never doubting?

Is it about doing all the right things – even when my heart doesn’t always feel aligned with them?

I don’t have the answer.

But here’s what I do know…

Real faith isn’t just about showing up. It’s about engagement.

It’s about praying – even when I don’t feel like it.

It’s about worshiping – even when I don’t feel connected.

It’s about choosing to follow God – even when it’s easier to let bitterness win.

Faith isn’t about perfection – it’s about persistence.

So maybe real faith isn’t found in never struggling.

Maybe it’s found in the struggle itself.

A Prayer for a New Heart

Today, I don’t want to just say I have faith.

I want to live it.

That means letting go of my resentment.

That means forgiving – even when it feels unfair.

That means showing up for God – not just out of obligation, but because I want to.

And maybe, in doing that, I’ll start to find the connection I’ve been searching for all along.