The Lord said: “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter. ”When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
REFLECTION
"You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter. ”
How easy it is to read this Gospel and immediately think of someone else.
We can quickly name their faults, their words, their behavior, even the things they do in church. Somehow, our own name does not appear until we stop and look more honestly at ourselves.
Then, surprise, surprise… there I am.
In Luke 11:47–54, Jesus warns against hypocrisy. He is not simply condemning bad behavior. He is calling us to examine whether our outward faith matches what is happening in our hearts.
St. Teresa of Jesus understood this deeply. In The Interior Castle, she describes the soul as a castle with many rooms, with Christ dwelling at the center. The spiritual life is a journey inward—away from appearances, self-deception, and distractions, and toward truth, humility, and union with God.
That is where real conversion begins.
PAPA prays for priests to be holy, faithful, prayerful, and devoted to their flock. But as we pray for their holiness, we must also allow Jesus to reform our own hearts.
So today we might ask:
Am I living what I profess?
Am I open to correction?
Am I allowing Jesus to change me from within?
And may we carry in our hearts the beautiful words of St. Teresa of Jesus:
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