Fr Xavier Writes 5th November 2023
It’s again quickly another Sunday to renew our daily living, with the celebration of the paschal mystery dying for our weakness and raising for life. Of course, recently we remembered all our departed souls and prayed for them to find peace in the Lord.
Jesus was very severe, in the gospel, in denouncing the religious leaders of his time who were far from examples of integrity because they failed to practice what they preached, who were good at pretending and loved to be the centre of attention, though they were neglecting the much more important matters of faith, justice and mercy.
What Jesus says is important for us too, because, to some extent, we are all painted with hypocrisy. Very few of us can say that our actions always match our words. We, at times, very easily put on a show to hide our shortcomings and appear virtuous. Most of us are good at presenting one face for the public and displaying a different one with colleagues at work, family and with our close community.
To live up to what we profess as followers of Christ we must mean what we say and do what we mean. We in the public eye are being asked if we perform good works for the glory of God or to seek our own advancement. We for sure have lost our way when the search for human approval becomes uppermost in our lives. As parents, any correction of children falls on deaf ears when our own behavior is irresponsible and our language foul. We shall pray for the grace that our external behaviours match with an inner genuineness.
Let us have a time for visiting the graves to get an indulgence for us.
