Memorial of Saint Callistus, Pope and Martyr

In today’s Gospel, Jesus pronounces “Woe” against the Pharisees and the lawyers or scribes because they focus on judgment rather than forgiveness. Forgetting that no human being is free of sin, these leaders impose laws on others but do not always honor the laws themselves. The lawyers react to Jesus’ three-fold condemnation of the Pharisees with the protest that “by saying this [condemning the Pharisees] you are insulting us [lawyers] too.” Surely Jesus smiles and expects us to smile when he turns to the lawyers and says, “Woe also to you scholars of the law,” saying “woe” three times to confirm that, yes, he is insulting and condemning them as well.

Pope Callistus, back in the third century, understood what Jesus was talking about. Many of that early pope’s fellow Christians believed that those who had denied their faith during times of persecution could not be allowed to return to the faith, could not be forgiven for committing the same sin Peter committed on the night before Jesus died. These self-righteous Christians forgot that Jesus, the God who alone has the right to judge, forgave Peter. Why couldn’t they forgive those who betrayed the faith rather than suffer persecution when, later, those who had renounced the faith under pressure said, as Peter said, “Lord, you know that I love you”—and, therefore, I am sorry for my weakness and ask your forgiveness.

Callistus refused to believe that those who had denied Christ could not be forgiven. The lesson for us is clear: when we are tempted to judge others, when we are tempted to self-righteously declare that we would never commit such and such a sin, we should ask God to help us remember that our job is to love our neighbors rather than to judge them.

Prayer:

Remember us, Lord, now that you are in your Kingdom. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.