In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us not to be hypocrites and to avoid being self-centered, arrogant, and egotistical. He warns against appearing like faithful Christians on the outside while failing to be that on the inside.
The term "hypocrite" originates from the Greek word for "actor". Actors have to pretend to be someone else on stage, which is acceptable in theater but not real life. Jesus teaches us to remove our masks, stop pretending, and embrace our true selves. This is a challenging lesson for us...
In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us not to be hypocrites and to avoid being self-centered, arrogant, and egotistical. He warns against appearing like faithful Christians on the outside while failing to be that on the inside.
The term "hypocrite" originates from the Greek word for "actor". Actors have to pretend to be someone else on stage, which is acceptable in theater but not real life. Jesus teaches us to remove our masks, stop pretending, and embrace our true selves. This is a challenging lesson for us for two reasons.
First, many of us act like hypocrites occasionally, even if we don't like to admit it. We may sometimes try to deceive or persuade others, give a false impression, or hide our true motives. We are all probably guilty of hypocrisy at times.
Secondly, we fear that if we remove our masks, God might reject us, and nobody wants to experience rejection. However, Jesus gives us a reason to trust Him enough to accept this challenging lesson.
He already knows us entirely but still chooses to love us. He emphasizes this fact by repeating it three times when He mentions that the Father sees our hidden actions. He has witnessed even the darkest and most sorrowful moments of our inner thoughts. He knows everything about us.
Despite our imperfections, God loves us unconditionally with the kind of love that only a perfect father, mother, or friend can give. He constantly encourages us to draw nearer to Him by giving to those in need, offering our prayers, and fasting privately. His ultimate desire is for us to cultivate a close relationship with Him and live a life intertwined with His divine presence.
The ashes we use serve as a reminder of our sinful nature. Though children of God, we are still of this fallen world.
Ashes are lifeless dust; if we give in to our selfish tendencies and commit sins, we also become lifeless dust. Sin creates a separation between us and God, who is the source of all life. Without God's redeeming Spirit, we would lose all hope of eternal life.
Our faith in Christ tells us that God has not abandoned us. Christ is our Redeemer and claims us as His own. We still have a mission in His Kingdom, and He desires us to be His ambassadors.
As sinners, we bear the mark of ashes, but it is given in the sign of Christ's Cross, which brings us the grace of a fresh start and new life.
We are marked on our foreheads because Christ wants us to represent Him boldly in the world. He is not ashamed of us and wants our friendship, as He is our Savior.
May our Lenten observances bring us closer to being the people God calls us to be, deep within ourselves and in the world, as we seek to bring His love and peace to all His people.
