Daily catholic Reflection: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year C

2 Thessalonians 2: 1 -3a.14-17,

Psalm 96:10.11-12a. l2b- 13,

Matthew 23:23-26 Full Readings

Saint Rose of Lima

 Religious Congruence

Religious congruence simply means that one has to practice what he or she teaches, and it is a very important practice if one has to be an authentic Christian. Today's Gospel presents to us a critique to the Pharisees and Scribes by Jesus. Jesus rebukes them for just washing outside the cup while the inside is very dirty. This can be termed as hypocrisy which is simply lack of congruence (outside not reflecting the inside). Jesus tells them and he tells us today too, to first wash the inside of the cup and the outside will be clean too.

Jesus went to the heart of the matter when he called the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees and hypocrites! A hypocrite is an actor or imposter who says one thing but does the opposite or who puts on an outward appearance of doing good while inwardly clinging to wrong attitudes, selfish desires and ambitions, or bad intentions. Many scribes and Pharisees had made it a regular practice to publicly put on a good show of outward zeal and piety with the intention of winning greater honors, privileges, and favors among the people. Jesus had a very good reason for severely rebuking the scribes and Pharisees, the religious teachers and leaders, for misleading people and neglecting the heart and essence of God's law - love of God and love of neighbor.

There are matters which strike at the heart of our relationship with God. These matters are certainly not the external features of religion. Our society has much regard for church goers, those who strictly adhere to religious practices, who contribute their tithes, who spend quality time in adoration, and even those who work miracles. We hold these ‘religious people’ in great esteem because of their diligence and adherence to prescribed religious practices. However, Jesus’ critique of Scribes and Pharisees encourages us to redefine our understanding of what God expects from us. The most essential matter of religion is not sacrifice but justice and mercy, which are possible only when we understand that this is what God expects from us. It is not all out external observance of the law but what comes from our interior being, that God wants. 

Brethren, it's not surprising that such people still exist among us. Sometimes, we tend to show real devotion to church activities and needs, going to church everyday and even being active in everything concerning the church but if it is not from the interior, we do not have a difference between us and Pharisees and scribes. What God wants of us is to be congruent in that what we do outside should reflect what is inside. This is also living a Christian life based on integrity. More so, the observance of the law should be accompanied with justice and mercy. 

Jesus’ words reveal that the ideal is to start with an interior cleansing.  Once that happens, the effect will be that the exterior is also cleansed and radiant.  The one who is first cleansed interiorly is an inspiration and a beautiful soul. And what is beautiful is that when one’s heart is authentically cleansed and purified, this interior beauty cannot be contained inside.  It must shine forth and others will notice.  

Jesus also wants the real you. As humans, we may fall and sin  but sin does not stop Jesus from fulfilling his mission. On the contrary, sinfulness is precisely what he has come to address, to heal, and to redeem. So there is really nothing we can do that would cause Jesus to abandon us; no sin is too grave, no crime too gruesome, to prevent the Savior of the world from coming closer. But Jesus is not simply interested in defeating sin. He wants to re-establish our integrity not to be false prophets expressed in the first reading. He wants to make us whole and holy. When we mask our real selves and hide, we undermine Jesus’s mission. Jesus looks for us in our true reality, within our actual condition. For he has come to redeem us, the real us. 

Reflect today on oh how congruent you are. Do you sometimes find yourself masking or in hypocrisy? Pray that God will deliver you from such vices.

 Let us Pray

Lord Jesus, fill me with your love and mercy that I may always think, speak, and treat others with fairness, loving-kindness, patience, and goodness. May I express congruence and integrity in my Christian life. Amen 

Be blessed