Quite a few years ago, I walked into the restaurant's bar section to pick up a takeout meal. Several guys older than I was were sitting at the bar, and I said hello. I got a lukewarm response, but undaunted, I introduced myself and asked if they went to the nearby church. One of the guys said, “No way, Father.” I asked him why, and he responded, “Well, my brother, who is one of your ushers, is one of the biggest hypocrites I know, and he and I don’t get along.”
…Being a new priest at the time, this was a new one. So I simply said, “I’m sorry to hear about your brother, but maybe you could come to a different Mass. Besides, we’re all works in progress.”
Avoiding Acting
That happened a long time ago, but I always think about it when I reflect on this Gospel passage from Matthew, where Jesus chastises the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. On one hand, hypocrisy, by its nature, is a detriment to the hypocrite’s soul. For the person who is not living a Christian life, they are professing one thing and doing another.
However, as evidenced by the story of the two brothers, there is a secondary effect that goes beyond that person. In the case of the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus used the word “hypocrite” to mean that they were like actors who portray a character on stage, pretending to be someone they are not. The scribes and the Pharisees were, by profession, in positions of authority and honor, so their visibility was greater, and so was the effect of whether they were practicing what they taught and held others accountable.
Spotlight on Our Behavior
Priests, religious brothers and sisters, and permanent Deacons all have a platform that puts us in the spotlight, whether in church or the public square. However, as evidenced by the story of the two brothers, we all need to stay on guard—to stay on course with Jesus. This includes husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, older brothers and sisters, not to mention teachers and coaches.
Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri list some good reflection questions to help us:
- Do I practice what I preach
- Do I help others to live by God’s standards, or do I simply instruct them on what those standards are?
- Do I perform religious actions to impress others or to obtain God’s approval?
- Do I relate to people in a way that invites conversion, or do I imply by my actions that they are not welcome in the Kingdom of God?
- Do I emphasize lesser matters to the neglect of justice, mercy, and fidelity?
(Source: The Gospel of Matthew-Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture; pg. 298)
There is one other aspect of the topic of hypocrisy, and that is the fear that it will cause people who are “works in progress” to stay on the sidelines of serving in the vineyards of our parishes and communities. I had met a fair number of people who expressed this concern when I asked if they would serve the church. They suffered the other end of the spectrum from what Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees out.
No matter where we find ourselves in relation to the congruency of reality and how we present ourselves, it is always good to take some time to think, pray, go to regular Confession, and encourage others along the way, for we are all work in progress.
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and Rosary) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
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