Twenty-First Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

Sometimes we can become so focused on the little things in our lives that we lose sight of the bigger picture. These distractions can take many forms from daily routines to minor problems. The problem is that these little things add up over time and pile on top of us and unless we take the time to step back, we will eventually find ourselves buried beneath the little things with no time left for the most important things like discerning God’s Will in our lives, being merciful toward others, and being faithful to our Heavenly Father. We must strive to keep our prospective at all times because without it we will miss the opportunities to witness the graces God offers us and to do good in our lives. By the same token, we will be less judgmental of others, because we will be able to recognize them as fellow children of God, who are imperfect, just as we are, and struggling to live lives of truth and not hypocrisy.

What little things are getting in the way of our seeing the bigger picture? How can we become more discerning, merciful, and faithful to God and his children? In light of our own failings, can we forgive those who have trespassed against us?

O Lord, constantly remind us of the bigger things in life, such as knowing, loving, and serving you and all your children, now and forever.

Amen.