“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had offered more than enough healings and exorcisms and other miracles to show that he was not only from God, but also that He himself was God. And at this point, you really begin to wonder, are the Pharisees really seeking the truth about Jesus here, or are they seeking to validate their own narrow view.
In a sense, they are looking for a sign, but not a sign that Jesus is God and his word is truth. They are looking for a sign to prove themselves right.
The Lord exposes the Pharisees here as belonging to an evil and unfaithful generation who have closed their hearts to God. They don’t acknowledge God when he is standing right in front of them. They don’t acknowledge truth when it is clearly being explained to them.
Why? Certainly the sin of pride is at work. Pride doesn’t care about the truth. It blinds us to the truth.
Thomas continues. He says, Pride is an assumed self-sufficiency which omits or discounts God in considering what one is. The atheist essentially is a prideful soul because he refuses to acknowledge that we live, and move, and have our being because of God. And even though that God is the author of life, they refuse to bow, to worship, to obey, to heed his commandments. Christians who allow pride to dominate their life become practical atheists.
St Thomas then quotes St. Gregory who teaches that pride is a claiming of excellence not possessed. The pharisees do this all the time, they claim to be holy, without possessing authentic holiness. The Lord exposes them for this over and over. Then Gregory says, pride ultimately consists of “despising others and wishing to seem the exclusive possessor of what one has”. The prideful soul is a spiteful, yet lonely soul. Refusing in the end to acknowledge the goodness in others, it is a self-imposed prison.
We can see why pride is a mortal sin. There is no place for pride in heaven. We must be rid of every ounce of pride before we can enter heaven. Freedom from pride is certainly one of our ongoing projects as followers of Jesus. And most of us will still require some purgation of pride after shedding our mortal coil. But, when, cooperating with grace, we become empty of pride, the humble goodness of Jesus fills our souls.
That Church leaders will humbly lead God’s people in the ways of righteousness and truth.
For the conversion of hearts hardened to the Gospel, for those who have fallen away from the Church, for non-believers and unrepentant sinners, for atheists and those who reject the word of God.
For all those who suffer from violence, war, famine, extreme poverty, addiction, discouragement, loneliness, and those who are alienated from their families. For all those who suffer illness, and those in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, the deceased members of our families friends and parishes, for those who fought and died for our freedom, and N. for whom this Mass is offered.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
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