20190827
HYPOCRISY
SPRINGS FROM DEEP INSECURITY AND SELFISHNESS
27 AUGUST, 2019,
Tuesday, 21st, Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
White.
These are the readings
for the feria
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First reading
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1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ©
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We were eager to hand over to you not only the Good
News but our whole lives
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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.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 138(139):1-3,4-6 ©
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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.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Ac16:14
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Heb4:12
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and
active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Matthew 23:23-26 ©
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Clean the inside of the cup first, so that the
outside may become clean
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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.’
HYPOCRISY
SPRINGS FROM DEEP INSECURITY AND SELFISHNESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Th 2:1-8; Ps 139:1-3, 4-6; Mt 23:23-26 ]
There is so much
hypocrisy in the world.
When I say the world, it means all of us. We are obsessed with our external
image and the reception by the world. We want to look good before the
rest of the world. This is expressed in the way we spend so much money on
dressing, cosmetics, makeover and aesthetic surgery. People are
exercising and conscious of their diet, not so much because they want to keep
themselves healthy but because they want to look good in the eyes of the world.
They are afraid that if they are too fat, the world will reject them.
Many people give donations or attend functions not because they are sincerely
supportive of the cause but they do so for the sake of public image. So
much of our hypocrisy springs from insecurity and pride. This is
understandable because we are so afraid that we will not be loved or accepted
by society otherwise.
This was the case of the
Pharisees in today’s gospel. “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 Pharisees! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the
outside may become clean as well.” Indeed, they were more concerned about
how they looked from outside instead of looking at their hearts.
Externally, they appeared to be holy and pious but their hearts were evil,
proud and selfish. But “the Lord does not see as mortals see;
they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the
heart.” (1 Sm 16:7) Just
because people cannot see our hearts, it does not mean that we are good, happy
and at peace with ourselves. Deep in our hearts, we are full of anger,
revenge and bitterness. Indeed, the Lord said, “It is what comes out of a
person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that
evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice,
wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All
these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mk 7:21-23) As Catholics, we too can appear to
be pious and holy, attending church services, being involved in church
activities but our hearts are far from God.
Then there are those who
even go to the extent of deliberately deceiving the world. They dress elegantly and stylishly,
speak eloquently, write beautifully to impress others on how successful and
talented they are. Some would even boast of their good works to let the
world know how wonderful and good-hearted they are. But they are living a
double life. To the world, they give the impression that they are happy,
always smiling, always cheerful, kind and generous. But in their private
lives, at home or at the workplace, they are a different person. They are
intolerant, abusive, self-centred, rude, arrogant, demanding and
temperamental. This form of deliberate deception is even worse. It
does not spring from insecurity or pride but selfishness, of wanting to cheat
people, attracting them so that they can make money from them or get something
out of the relationship. We even have such people in the religious world,
where religious leaders make use of their charisms to win over people so as to
enrich themselves and live a luxurious life. They use their charms and
eloquence to trick people into believing in them, all for their own sordid
gains and profits.
In contrast, we have
Paul who demonstrated his sincerity in proclaiming the gospel. The service of the apostles
to the people was given freely, generously and without self-interests.
Their motives were pure and solely for the good of the people. It was not
about themselves. It was always about the people. He said, “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.” They proclaimed the gospel because God had
entrusted to them this responsibility. Their only motive was to share the
Good News of salvation to the people and to please God in all they did and
spoke. They were not out to enrich themselves or make money from their
ministry, unlike some present day speakers.
There was no deception
on the part of the apostles. Paul
said, “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.” They sought no glory or honour for
themselves. They saw themselves as unworthy servants of the gospel and of
Jesus Christ. Their only motive was to impart the gospel. This
explains why Paul moved from community to community, town to town, and refused
to be domesticated in one place, especially when he felt that the community was
strong enough to continue growing on their own. He did not make himself
indispensable or remain behind to enjoy the fruits of his ministry or glory in
his laurels. Unfortunately, some of us make ourselves
indispensable!
St Paul was motivated by
the pure love for the people.
He was ever ready to give up his life for the people, only because of his love
for God and for them. He was ready to suffer persecution, opposition and
humiliation for their sake. He wrote to them, “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.” Paul expressed his tender love for the people when he said,
“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.” Instead of making use or cheating the people, he was acting
like a mother to them, as if they are his own children.
Indeed, our faith must
make us just, merciful and faithful to the gospel. This was what the Lord said to the
Jewish leaders. “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cummin 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!” Indeed, many of
us pick on small matters rather than focus on the primary mission of the Church,
which is to bring justice, hope, mercy and the love of God to all. We
waste so much time arguing over non-essential matters when the more urgent
demands of the gospel, the proclamation of Jesus as our Saviour, and the work
of justice and mercy are overlooked.
Hence, we should not
overemphasize the secondary dimensions and expressions of faith, become over legalistic in the
interpretation of the laws to the extent that we forget that the gospel is
principally one of mercy and compassion. We must distinguish between the
essentials and the non-essentials. Even Jesus would bend the
Sabbath Law for the greater good. Sadly, there are many legalistic people
in our churches who are always fighting over petty issues, often over liturgical
rules and laws, that they forget that liturgy is a living reality. It
develops and continues to develop over time, adjusting to the needs and customs
of the people. We can insist on doing the right things and carrying out the
rules meticulously, but have we asked whether mere observance of such rules
have brought people to God, know Him better and feel His presence more deeply
in their lives or keep them further apart from Him?
Truly, any real worship and service of God
must transform us to be people who are genuinely loving, caring and serving. It is not about what we do or
perform. Not to say that these external performances and rituals are
unimportant. They are means to help us reinforce our values and also as
the expression of what is in our hearts. We do not discard all the
religious customs and expressions of faith and love. But we need to
purify our motives for what we do and why we do. We need to follow the
example of Paul and the early missionaries who came to bring us the gospel
because they cared for our salvation. In today’s world, we are not always
too sure because some come and some serve simply for money and for financial
gains. Even if not for material gains, we can serve for personal benefits,
glory, status and attention. So we must search and examine and purify our
motives in service.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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