HYPOCRITES!

PRAYER PAUSE          

Wednesday 30 August 2017

HYPOCRITES!

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Alas for you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. From the outside you look like honest men, but inside are full of hypocrisy and lawlessnes.” (Matthew 23:27-32)

Reflection. The gospels preserve these strong words of Jesus. They must be authentic. It is hard to believe they were an invention of the early Church. Jesus was outraged at the hollow men who were the religious leaders of Israel at that time. The harshness of his images – “whitewashed tombs full of deadmen’s bone” – shocks us. But Jesus was intensely angry that these people were blocking the coming of God’s reign on earth. How do we become utterly sincere? How do we speak so that every word comes from the depths of truth withn us? We still some way to go.  

Prayer. Lord, help us to speak and act from the Spirit who dwells in our hearts. Amen.