Back when I was serving at St Jude in Pearl, the pastors of the local congregations read the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs, one chapter per day. We were paired with one of the other pastors and would then text our insights from that chapter to the other person. I was paired with a pastor from an African American Baptist Church in Pearl who also worked with troubled youth in an after-school program. It was quite interesting to share our insights with each other. In today’s first reading, we hear from the 21st Chapter of Proverbs. One verse stood out to me: “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” In Ancient Israel, sacrifices were made in the Temple. Some Jews felt that offering those sacrifices were more important than anything else. Perhaps more important than proper conduct. Most Catholics approach confession with sincere and contrite hearts. Doing penance and going to confession are important. Turning away from our sins is equally important. I hope that we could read the book of Proverbs together as a parish and be able to share our insights with other parishioners. I think that would be a wonderful exercise.
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