Practice What You Preach
Brethren, the world needs witnesses more than it needs teachers. It’s easy to remind others how things should be done; it is much harder to give witness of an authentic Christian life. One thing is content, and the other is personal example. When someone tells us the truth, we should accept it – even if that person doesn’t live the truth he preaches and thus the saying of Jesus, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice." Our following the truth should not depend on whether or not others live it. But there is a warning for us who are the teachers of the gospel and the truth. Thus, if we find ourselves in a position in which we have the responsibility of preaching or teaching catechism, we should sincerely try to live up to the doctrine that we preach, which is not ours but God’s.
Sometimes people’s words inspire us, but more often it is the witness they give with their actions that inspires. Additionally, when someone’s words do not match up with their actions, they are seen as hypocrites. Jesus is very hard on the scribes and the Pharisees for this reason. “For they preach but they do not practice.” They spoke about the Law of God, taught it in a detailed way, but they did not truly practice God’s Law as it was intended to be practiced. Jesus goes on to give a list of the ways that these religious leaders failed to live the laws of God. They failed in their charity and encouragement of others, they did everything for public praise and for show, and they sought out honors and meaningless titles. As a result, they cared little for others and cared much about themselves as well as putting themselves at the centre instead of God.
St Ignatius of Antioch gives a way of being a true Chriatian and living it up to the end. In his epistle to the Romans, he stated the importance of truly being Christian, not just being called one: “Only request in my behalf both inward and outward strength, that I may not only speak, but truly will; and that I may not merely be called a Christian, but really found to be one. For if I be truly found a Christian, I may also be called one, and be deemed faithful.” Christianity does not consist in living our faith in an external or merely formal way, as the Pharisees lived their religion, but in loving God to the point of showing that love in our personal and public behavior. We should avoid in our behavior that which we deplore in others. To be truly Christian, it is necessary to strive to think, want, desire and love as Jesus did.
Apart from living our Christianity to the full, Jesus invites us to be clothed with humility. "The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." It’s all a matter of being humble. Once, St. Bernard of Clairvaux compared the proud man to the top of a snow-capped mountain at the beginning of spring and the humble man to the valley below. The melting snow, which is God’s grace, cannot flow upwards to the proud man: Through his attitude (he thinks he is at God’s level), he has put himself in a position in which he is incapable of receiving God’s grace. On the other hand, the humble man, since he is at the bottom of the mountain, fully receives the water of God’s grace, and therefore he can bear abundant fruit. Only the humble man can be truly in contact with God and let God’s grace work miracles in his life.
Reflect today on the fundamental call to practice what you preach and believe in and the fact that the world needs witnesses more than it needs teachers. Strive hard from today to live what you preach though it is sometimes difficult and a hard reality. This can be achieved by humility and a s St Paul encourages in the second reading not to become a burden to others when you are in position of authority and teaching. May the Holy Spirit help us to become Christians and not to just seem like one.
Let us Pray.
Lord, help me to value my Christian identity. I know that to live in a Christian way does not come naturally to anyone. It can come only with your light and grace. Give me the grace to contemplate you more deeply, so that you can be the standard for my actions and reactions. Amen
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