“SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER”
Daily Spiritual Reflections
22nd October 2021
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FRIDAY, TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope
Rom 7:18-25; Ps 119:66,68,76-77,93-94; Lk 12:54-59
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LIVING AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN LIFE
“You hypocrites!” Imagine saying these words to the faces of a group of people who are considered arbitrators in their society. One needs to have sufficient courage to say these words not only to chastise them but also to exhort them to uphold what they preach. Jesus had this courage and would love his followers to have it as well. Loaned from the Greek word hupokritēs which means ‘actor’, a hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion and acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs.
In today’s gospel, we see Jesus calling the crowds hypocrites for a reason. The people were skilled in interpreting the weather but were unable to interpret the signs of the Messiah’s presence. They refused to accept him as the one, of whom the prophets had foretold for centuries. In their presence, Jesus worked miracles, revealed the rich teaching of the kingdom of God and assured them of salvation. The signs were clearly visible. Because, they refused to acknowledge them, Jesus called them hypocrites. They were not ignorant but were deniers of the truth because they didn’t like what the truth meant for them. They didn’t want to let go of their preconceived ideas and this is why Jesus called them hypocrites (actors) – despite knowing the truth, they acted otherwise. That is the bitter truth of living the Christian faith!
We see Paul in his letter to the Romans, moaning how difficult it is to live an unhypocritical life! To accept Christ means to accept him fully with no strings attached. One cannot say he is a Catholic if he does not have the nerve to stand steadfast in the truth of the Gospel. Today we remember Pope St John Paul II – the steadfast disciple who not only resisted the waves of secularism but also successfully broke the strong forts of communism! Where did he derive the strength from? From living an authentic Christian life.
Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.
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