Wednesday 21st week in ordinary time
"Mt 23:27-32"
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
When You, Lord, denounced the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, You mentioned the things that they were doing: they fasted (twice a week, actually), they gave a tenth of all their possessions (not bad)... The problem was not the things they did – as each of them was very good. The problem, says the Gospel, was 'within', because they would do that to "outwardly appear righteous to men."
Their intention is what made them hypocrites. They didn't give alms for the sake of the poor but to be seen and admired. Everything they did was to make people think they were holy men. But what we read about You, Lord, is quite different. We find often in the Gospel that You asked people not to say anything about Your miracles. When You prayed, You'd go to a lonely place. You didn't show off Your virtues because You didn't do things in order to be known, recognised, praised or admired. Virtue is usually very silent.
A man and his son were walking on a cobblestone pavement when they heard a horse and cart coming. Over the noise of the horse's hooves they heard the clattering of the cart. The father said: 'That cart is empty'. When the cart came into view the boy saw that his dad was right. 'How did you know it was empty?' asked the boy. 'When a cart is very noisy it's always empty', replied the wise father, 'when it's heavily loaded there is not much clattering'. The same happens with the lives of the Pharisees: much clattering, but empty lives. But those saints who are 'heavily loaded' with virtue are discreet and silent.
The life of Our Lady and that of St Joseph, were lives full of virtue and for that reason, really silent. Mary, my Mother, St Joseph, my father and lord, help me to avoid the clattering of those who only want to attract attention and to be praised; help me to rectify my intention and to do everything only for the Glory of God.
