First Reading: Gal 5:18-25; Psalm: 1. R. v. Jn 8:12; Gospel: Lk 11 42-46

RELIGIOUS TRANSPARENCY

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

“Woe to you! For you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it” (Lk 11:44)

According to Numbers 19:16; whoever touches a grave whether knowingly or unknowingly will be unclean for seven days. Jesus regarded the Pharisees of his time as graves which were unknown by the people. Those who come in contact with them were contaminated and consequently unclean because they pollute the people by their way of life. This was the reason as to why Jesus pronounced woe upon them.

How do we affect the people we meet? Do we help or destroy them? Some of us portray ourselves as true Christians but in reality are not. We are like a decoy that deceive and lure people to the wrong direction. Because our outward lifestyles attract; but who we truly are destroys. We draw people to ourselves through deception and end up leading them astray. People come to us in their innocence and get polluted at the end. We are sometimes guilty of this sin of the Pharisees.

Jesus warns us today to desist from this Pharisaic attitude if we must be his true disciple. Our lives need to be transparent and genuine for us to be able to make impact in the lives of people. If we are not sincere to ourselves; we cannot change our world positively. And God cannot change us either because a false life resists co-operation with God. Repentance begins with a sincere life. And to live a sincere life is to be honest about who we truly are.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, help us to be honest in our faith life. Amen.