Saint Monica
Religious Congruence
Brethren, today's Gospel presents to us the next two of the seven woes in the gospel of Matthew, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity....", “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. This was yet another critique to the Pharisees and Scribes by Jesus. Jesus rebukes them for just washing outside the cup and 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.
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.
Jesus went to the heart of the matter when he called the religious leaders of his day blind Pharisees and hypocrites! As we saw yesterday, 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.
Brethren, it's not surprising that such people still exist among us. We tend to show real devotion to church activities and wants, going to church every day and even being active in everything concerning the church but if it is not from the interior, then do we have a difference between us and Pharisees and scribes? What God wants us 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.
St Monica whose memorial we celebrate today is the great model of doing the mission entrusted to her, the mission of being a good mother. with religious congruence. What she was convinced of in the interior that her son Augustine would be converted to become a good person is what she portrayed outside through her fervent prayer for her son and dedication. Though her son Augustine was filled with worldly pleasures with no regard for God, she didn't give up on him, but she prayed unceasingly for his conversion. Her prayers were answered, and the Great Doctor of Church was converted. That's why we call her a saint now. Mothers, are you doing your mission as a mother, the way God entrusted it to you? It is also an invitation to all of 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 I'm my Christian life. Amen
Be blessed
No comments:
Post a Comment