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To Be or Not to Be
August 30, 2006

Human respect is the “guillotine of saints.”

Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Father Alexander Kim, LC

Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men´s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, ´If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets´ blood.´ Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!"

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the “Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). I come before you humbly today. I want my life to be an open book where you write the pages of my life story.

Petition: Lord Jesus, grant me a sincere and humble heart that leads me to resist all hypocrisy and live my Catholic faith in its fullness.

1. What You See Is Not What You Get! One of the sternest reprimands Jesus gave was against the hypocrisy of those charged with the grave task of leading God’s people. They were called to transmit the hope of God’s promise of deliverance: “I will be your God and you shall be my people” (Jeremiah 24:7). Yet their vain righteousness was nothing but self-indulgence that burdened the flock of Israel to the point of despair. Instead of helping the people of God to turn from sin to a life of fidelity to God’s love, they preyed upon the spiritual sensitivity of the people for their own sordid gain.

2. Guillotine of Saints or Saints to the Guillotine? Human respect is the “guillotine of saints.” It has a suicidal effect and a deadly capacity to cut short the action of a zealous heart. Human respect renders love of God and souls sterile because it is nothing but pride disguised as fear, doubt or the sophism of not wanting to hurt others’ feelings. True charity, on the other hand, gives testimony to the truth, regardless of the consequences this may bring – even persecution or the sword (cf. Romans 8:35). Shunning human respect may lead us to the “guillotine” of ridicule or persecution, but then we are on our way to becoming saints.

3. Like Father, Like Son, Hypocrites All. The Pharisees’ ancestors killed the prophets for chastising the people in God’s name. Now, Jesus ironically urges the Pharisees to prove themselves worthy of their heritage. Jesus separated himself from the religious leaders of the times. Unlike the Pharisees and Temple priests, who had become like mercenaries for the flock of Israel, Jesus was the Good Shepherd. Jesus instituted a new priesthood, based on his own: that of the Suffering Servant, the Paschal Lamb, the Messiah, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He made all things new and in truth set us free from sin.

Dialogue with Christ: Oh Jesus, I thank you with all my heart for redeeming me. You let me hear your voice gently calling me. I will be forever grateful to you because of your cross, on which you proved your love for me. Strengthen me in faith and fill me with your love so that I can one day join with St Paul to say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Resolution: I will be an enemy of hypocrisy and sincere in my dealings with all the people around me today.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	How Well Have You Chosen Your Friends?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Wednesday, August 30, 2006

2 Thes 3:6-10, 16-18 / Mt 23:27-32

There’s an old saying to the effect that people will know us by the friends we keep. There’s solid insight in that, on several levels. The most obvious is the likelihood of our choosing companions who share our more important views and attitudes towards life. But there’s another dynamic at work as well. With the passing of time, even the most wary of us tend to take on the ideas, values, and even the mannerisms of the people with whom we spend our days. We don’t necessarily think about it or decide to do it, it just happens. And sometimes what we take into ourselves from them is not all that admirable.

That’s why St. Paul is so outspoken in his advice to us about friends: “Avoid any brother who wanders from the straight path and does not follow the tradition you receive from us,” he says. Paul knew how fast that we can slide into spiritual sickness without even noticing it.

But we can’t stop with just avoiding trouble. There’s more to be done about people who’ve moved in wrong directions. Pray for them, but don’t preach. Search for opportunities to talk with them about the things that matter. And when you do, speak from the heart and listen from the heart. Live your values. Let your life offer a different vision that speaks louder than any words. They may not admit it, but they’ll notice. And in the end, if nothing seems to work, leave it to God. More often than not, only time will bring people to a readiness to rethink. So be patient, and leave it to God.