THE WOES OF INSINCERITY

20150825 THE WOES OF INSINCERITY

Readings at Mass

First reading

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ©

You know yourselves, my brothers, that our visit to you has not proved ineffectual.

  We had, as you know, been given rough treatment and been grossly insulted at Philippi, and it was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim his Good News to you in the face of great opposition. We have not taken to preaching because we are deluded, or immoral, or trying to deceive anyone; it was God who decided that we were fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we are not trying to please men but God, who can read our inmost thoughts. You know very well, and we can swear it before God, that never at any time have our speeches been simply flattery, or a cover for trying to get money; nor have we ever looked for any special honour from men, either from you or anybody else, when we could have imposed ourselves on you with full weight, as apostles of Christ.

  Instead, we were unassuming. Like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective towards you, and had come to love you so much, that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives as well.

Psalm

Psalm 138:1-3,4-6 ©

O Lord, you search me and you know me.

O Lord, you search me and you know me,

  you know my resting and my rising,

  you discern my purpose from afar.

O Lord, you search me and you know me.

You mark when I walk or lie down,

  all my ways lie open to you.

Before ever a word is on my tongue

  you know it, O Lord, through and through.

O Lord, you search me and you know me.

Behind and before you besiege me,

  your hand ever laid upon me.

Too wonderful for me this knowledge,

  too high, beyond my reach.

O Lord, you search me and you know me.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,

to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or

Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 23:23-26 ©

Jesus said, ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

  ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’

THE WOES OF INSINCERITY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1THESSA 2:1-8; MT 23:23-26

The message of today’s scripture readings can be summarized in just one word: sincerity.  How sincere we are with ourselves will determine how sincere we are with others.  Our lack of sincerity not only deceives others but we ultimately deceive ourselves too.  By being insincere with ourselves, we hurt ourselves much, much more than we hurt others.  A person who is not sincere with himself is not one with himself.  When we are not integrated, we become divided within and this is where the real source of division begins.  When a person is divided within himself, that inner division is manifested in his division with others and with God.  That is why Jesus pronounced them as woes to us.  Why are they woes to us more than to others?

Firstly, when we are concerned with the trivials of the law, it is but our way of escaping the reality of the situation.  Catholics, for example, are more concerned with whether they attend mass on Sundays and that they make it before the gospel reading is over, or that they abstain from meat on Fridays than whether they are practising justice and charity towards their fellow human beings or even their family members at home or in the office.  What is the use of observing the details of the law when it does not make us more loving and just people?  Instead, we might begin to think that we are so righteous when we are not.  That is why it is a tragedy and a woe.

Secondly, when we are concerned more with the externals than the interior disposition, we know that we are not what we claim to be.  We might be civil and polite to others, but deep within we know that our motives are not sincere.  We know that we are putting up a show.  Such insincerity cannot but make us hate ourselves.  And to know that we have deceived others, make us even more angry with ourselves because we know better.  And because we are concerned with externals, we become slaves to others.  We have lost our inner and outer freedom.  Whereas for a person who is true to himself, and is more concerned with his internal disposition, the external behaviour will manifest itself accordingly.  His goodness will simply flow out from his heart.  He does not even need to think how to be good.  And because his goodness comes from within him, such good works are truly selfless and liberating.

Today, in the first reading, we have the example of St Paul.  He is truly one of the most sincere men that we read in the bible.  St Paul is so true to himself.  He is not ashamed of his mistakes and his weaknesses; but at the same time, he is conscious of God’s grace and blessings.  In all his letters, we can feel that this man always speaks from the depths of his heart in utter concern and love for his fellow human beings.  Yes, as he said in today’s letter, he does not use deceit or any sort of trickery or flattery.  He does not even seek to please man but only to please God.   He is not out to get glory for himself, but only for Christ.

Indeed, to seek to please God alone is nothing else but to be true to Him alone; to be true to self, doing all things for Him.  For such a person, he is truly liberated and is at peace within himself.  Only a person who is truly sincere to self can be happy.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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