“Peeling away our mask of hypocrisy by casting away our fears and throwing ourselves into the care of our Loving God!”

(Based on Rom 4:1-8 and Lk 12:1-7 – Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

A group of people visiting a magnificent church, came across a large clock in the sacristy.

What attracted the visitors, more than the clock, was the caption written beneath the large clock!

It seems that the clock was habitually too fast or too slow.

And so, a good old-sacristan realising that it was beyond repair, decided to write a caption on the placard.

The caption read: “Neither believe nor blame what my hands show!

The trouble lies deeper!
Therefore, even in life, ensure that you set your interior right, so that your externals display the truth!”

The hands of the clock displayed wrong timings…
… because the interior parts had some trouble!

So often are our external actions such in life!

We seem to be putting on a show outside…
… but the truth of the action can be known, only if the interior intention is true!
We seem to be good at displaying a clean image…
… but the sincerity of our deeds will be known, if we truly ensure purity from within!

We are into a reflection of this aspect of Hypocrisy yet again with Jesus’ insists on this evil tendency with a greater force & urgency.

Hypocrisy is a vice which is much hated by Jesus.

Hypocrisy is a vice which Jesus constantly asks to weed out.

Hypocrisy is duplicity.
Hypocrisy is pretence.

It is trying to be someone, that one is not.
It is masking one’s real identity to show one to be someone else.

The word “hypocrisy” is a composite word in the Greek. It comes from the joining of two words:

Hupo is the Greek word for “under.” … Krino, is the Greek “to separate or judge.”
So Hupo + Krino = Hypocrisy means to “be under or stay under and separate or judge!”

This word was mainly used in Greek theatres and plays to describe those “actors who would speak their parts, behind a mask!”

Hypocrites in real life, extend this “acting” to their everyday life…

People who try to impress others, in order to hide their real lives!
People who behave to be too good before others, but a sham within!

Do I have any of such aspects of “hypocritical… acting” in my life?

Our Lord calls this vice of hypocrisy as a Yeast…

Jesus speaks to His disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (Lk 12: 1b)

Why Yeast?
Yeast or Leaven is something that is used in baking.

Yeast has the great property of Influence…

A little amount of yeast is enough to raise the dough or to leaven the batter.
It has a great characteristic of exercising a great amount of influence, though little in quantity!

Hypocrisy is such… though a little amount, it is highly influential, like the yeast…

Hypocritical people are able…
… to boast much about themselves and exert harmful controls!
… to make other people highly pessimistic and negative!
… to drain out the spirit and the enthusiasm in others!

Yeast starts slow, but grows very quickly…

It has the great characteristic of exercising its great influence in a timid manner, but rises very fast and swiftly.

Hypocrisy is such… though it starts slow, it spreads its influence speedily, like the yeast…

How does Hypocrisy usually originate?

Usually from a Fear…

Fear of people makes one to adopt a totally different disposition and character.
Fear of situations makes one to adjust with a duplicate personality and behaviour.
Fear of one’s weaknesses makes one to alter the style of life and tamper with one’s nature.

That’s why the Lord, in today’s Gospel would strongly exhort, “Fear Not!”

When we banish the fear of many factors, we are able to be our real self.

When we cast away the fear of our material worries, we are able to live our true identity.

God is our Loving Father… a Caring Person… He wants us to grow in Holiness and Sanctity.

But He also knows that our double standards in life and our pretence in many areas of our life…
… is a block to His Grace in us.

We all wear masks, and the time sometimes comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin.

The Lord today invites us to peel away our mask of hypocrisy by casting away our fears…
… by throwing ourselves into the care of our Loving God, our Beloved Father in Heaven!

Let us “ensure that we set our interior right…
… so that our externals display the truth!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON – ERRONEOUS JUDGMENT

This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility.
This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.”

In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits. (CCC # 1791)