Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by A Holy Spirit Missionary Sister, Manila
Wednesday 21st Week in Ordinary Time
People say, “by the songs you sing, you reveal your age…” Mine is revealed by these few lines of songs of many years ago which I could still remember: “Pretend you’re happy when you’re blue…” “ …I’m laughing on the outside, crying in the inside….” and, “That’s the way of a clown…”
The Gospel of today presents Jesus calling the Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. We know that hypocrites are people who are insincere, pretentious, whose outward and inward dispositions do not manifest congruency. Jesus knows that the Scribes and Pharisees pretend to be what they are not, and pretend to feel what they don’t actually feel – aptly described by the lines of the songs mentioned above. Jesus likens them to “whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.”
Jesus, the Truth Personified, advocates honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, transparency, unpretentiousness. He inspires, encourages, and in fact demands that we live real, authentic lives, accepting our lights and shadows, accepting ourselves as we actually are.
Jesus’ way of life calls for humility, honesty and gratitude on our part, to acknowledge that all that we are and have come from God, hence, there is really no reason for us to boast of our good qualities or achievements, or to pose as somebody better than the rest.
Here, a challenge is given to us, to accept ourselves as we really are but loved by God: sinners, in need of His loving mercy.
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