“You have searched me and
you know me, Lord,” we pray in today’s responsorial psalm. In the Gospel, Mt. 23: 27-32, Jesus searches the hearts of
the Pharisees and confronts them for their hypocrisy. Exteriorly, they look
very holy with their elegant, officious robes, sacred phylacteries and
tassels. Interiorly, however, they are
anything but holy. “They tie up heavy
burdens…and lay them on peoples’ shoulders but they will not lift a finger to
move them. All their works are performed
to be seen,” Matthew tells us in verses 4-5 of this same chapter. There is a Pharisee in all of us, that is,
all of us are hypocritical from time to time and appear to be living impeccable
lives. All of us, on occasion, do things for show. We also have the ability to
be authentically holy, that is, to be persons who recognize and acknowledge our
sinfulness; are merciful, compassionate, kind, just, forgiving and caring
toward others, willing to lift their burdens, to share their grief, to help them
find love and peace and joy for their sake alone. Yes, we truly care, are
genuinely involved in making the world a better place because we are, in fact, cooperating with grace to the fullest of our
abilities.
The Lord knows because He searches our hearts!
And even when He finds “the Pharisee” there, God still loves us ,redirects us
toward an authentic Christian life and forgives us our failings.
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