INNER RIGHTEOUSNESS
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18; PSALM 128; Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness.”
In many ways, we are not different from the Pharisees; we appear to be upright on the outside while harbouring a culture of hypocrisy and lawlessness on the inside.
Jesus calls us to both outer righteousness and inner righteousness. The interior must come first. Inner righteousness must precede external righteousness. Nobody will be able to discredit us if we are morally upright on the inside.
St. Paul tells us in the first reading that we must earn the bread we eat. We should not presume that we will automatically get into heaven but should earn our place in the kingdom.
Today, the church celebrates the memorial to St. Augustine. He was deeply in the world, but at his conversion, he cast off the deeds of darkness and became steadfast about his faith. He remained focused on God and became a priest and bishop. His legacy continues to shape and influence the church to this day.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
LET US PRAY
We pray for clarity in our hearts, forgiveness for hypocrisies, and for those suffering due to our weaknesses and bad examples. Lord Jesus, help us and save us. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
