“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.” (Mt 23:25-26)
Today’s Gospel is a part of a long series of “woes” that Jesus preaches to those who hinder others from being able to be as close to the Kingdom as possible.
We do not like to think about Jesus becoming angry — and like it even less to think that He might be angry at any of us — yet, we must all realize the awesome responsibility that has been placed upon us in terms of the faith.
Since we have come to know Jesus much more intimately in Baptism as well as in Reconciliation, the Eucharist, and Confirmation, we have been commissioned to proclaim His Good News to the world in which we live.
To do otherwise is to live a lie.
To proclaim our own deeds and accomplishments rather than the Lord’s is to live as a hypocrite.
We cannot tell people how to live if we are unwilling to do so ourselves. We must set the example by our good deeds, not by good words.
Words, not backed by action, can be meaningless or misleading. Let us make sure that we live the faith today and not merely talk about it.
FAITH ACTION: Be willing to help someone in the faith today.