A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (23:27-32)
Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous,
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”
REFLECTION: My brothers and sisters in Christ, the Pharisees and the scribes, were the most knowledgeable about the Law of God, and the teachings and prophecies of the Lord’s prophets. They were the intellectual elites of the community, and yet, they did not recognize the Lord and His miracles and wonders, and all the signs which He had performed, that in fact, fulfilled all the prophecies which the prophets had spoken about. They hardened their hearts and refused to believe in Him.
We also heard in today’s Gospel, that the Pharisees and the scribes, often were hypocritical, in their way of living their faith, looking good on the outside, but they were truly empty inside. This means, that in them, no true and genuine faith, or love for God, could be found.
But let’s not be quick to blame the Pharisees and the scribes, and point our fingers to them, as we should all look first and foremost, upon ourselves, and our own actions in life. Have we ourselves, lived the lives we have in this world, in the manner that the Lord has taught and wants us all to live them? Or have we instead lived our lives, in the similar way as those Pharisees and scribes, in hypocrisy and in self-serving, self-righteous attitudes, lacking for true and genuine concern and care, for others around us?
I recall a time in my childhood, when I shared a bedroom with three other siblings, and our room was always a mess. Stacks of clean laundry all around us, not to mention our shoes, toys and other stuff laying around. Our parents had jobs, with hours too long to be checking our room daily, so they were always on us, to tidy-up our room. One day I had the brilliant idea to convince my siblings, that to make our room look tidy, we just throw everything in our dresser drawers. Our parents would peek in our rooms once in a while and were happy to see that we were keeping our room tidy. So, they thought. This went on for a few weeks. Then, one Saturday morning, our mother made a surprising find, when she came in our room, opened one of the drawers of our dresser, and another drawer, and another drawer! Suddenly, it became apparent to our mom, how we were managing to keep our room so tidy. Everything we owned was jammed into those drawers! As I was preparing for this Gospel, I was reminded of how easy, it is for all of us, to do what I had convinced my siblings to do. We are all prone to hiding the mess, by stuffing it in a drawer, and I don’t just mean, physical mess.
Jesus was aware of this pattern of behavior, from a certain group of “religious people”. His words exposed them in a way, I bet, they were not expecting. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.” (Matthew 23:27-28)
The Pharisees and the scribes in today’s Gospel, had a form of godliness, but denied its power. Their outward appearance was attractive. They were admired, honored in the marketplaces and listened to in the temple. But Jesus said that inwardly, they were full of death. What a shocking revelation to those listening! The Pharisees had fooled everyone into thinking they were righteous. But the reality of their hearts’ state, could not be hidden from Christ – beautiful and clean on the outside but internally dead. Putting it simply; they didn’t “WALK-THE-TALK.” How about you?
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Monica, who is well-known, for her being the mother of another great and famous saint, St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the Church’s most famous, early Church fathers. St. Monica is a model of steadfast prayer and faith, for the conversion of loved ones, particularly for mothers, whose children have strayed from the faith. Her life demonstrates perseverance, patience, and trust in God’s mercy, making her, a powerful intercessor for families, and a source of hope, for those facing adversity. –Saint Monica, pray for us!
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Brothers and sisters in Christ, is there anything in your life today, which you need to “clean out” properly, instead of just jamming it back in the drawers, or covering it with a coat of paint? Take sometime today, to think and pray, as the psalmist did; “Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts. See if there is a wicked path in me; lead me along an ancient path.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
AUDIO REFLECTION:
