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HOLINESS IS GROWING IN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-AWARENESS - stephenkhoo - 03-06-2012 09:18 AM
Scripture Reflections
Tuesday, 06 March, 2012, 2nd Week of Lent
HOLINESS IS GROWING IN INTEGRITY THROUGH SELF-AWARENESS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ISA 1:10, 16-20; MT 23:1-12
In the gospel, Jesus made it clear that there is only one Master, one Father and one Teacher, the Christ. Indeed, there is no other. We are only servants of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, Jesus concludes by teaching us that “the greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted.”
Truly, as priests and Christians, it is a great honour to be His servant by representing Him to others. Whether as priests or baptized Christians, the vocation to be His messenger in person to others is a noble calling, filling us with deep gratitude. Yet at the same time, it makes us tremble and sad because we often fail so miserably in being His image and likeness. Yes, we can identify ourselves with the political leaders ofIsrael condemned in the first reading and the religious leaders reprimanded by Jesus in the gospel.
Like the scribes and the Pharisees who “occupy the chair of Moses”, we know the right things to say. As priests we can preach eloquent sermons and teach sound moral principles, yet, often we are unable to live what we preach. As parents and leaders too, we would tell our children or our subordinates what to do and what not to do, yet in our own lives, we act contrary to the rules we set for others. Yes, as Jesus remarked, “You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!”
Not only do we fail to live up to the truths which we expound, but we also do the right things with the wrong intentions, or at least not so noble motives. How often have we conducted ourselves properly in public and show ourselves to be exemplary or philanthropic, but all for the sake of glory and honour? Like the religious leaders who did everything to “attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi”, we, too, seek honour, recognition and approval from people.
Most of all, behind all our so called religious and good works, quite often, these could be a cover up for our failure to love and for our dishonest living. Prophet Isaiah condemned the political leaders because they were cheating the poor, oppressing the helpless, orphans and widows. Yet, they pretended that they were right with God by offering sacrifices, burnt offerings of bulls and goats, to God. But as God spoke through the psalmist, He despises such sacrifices. In dismay, God said to such insincere leaders, “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?”
Don’t we, too, try to mitigate our deceitful way of living by giving charity to the poor or helping in the Church? Employers ill-treat their workers or domestic helpers but try to soothe their conscience by serving God and their fellowmen in other ways. We can even serve at the Altar and volunteer at charitable organizations, making ourselves look decent and good people, but in our hidden life, we cheat and lie. It is not uncommon for those who cheated in their earlier days in life to compensate for the sins of their past life by doing good works, helping the poor and serving them, now that they are older and know that they do not have much time left. In itself it is a good way to show remorse for the lack of justice and compassion in our lives. But there are others who, whilst doing good, continue to perpetuate sins against justice in their own lives.
When we live a life without integrity, the resultant feeling in our hearts is one of division and restlessness. As preachers, teachers and superiors, we cannot preach or teach with conviction or faith to those under our charge if there is incongruity between what we say and what we do. In truth, people can see that we do not walk the talk even though they do not tell us. As a result, we become less effective in our ministry, for we cannot truly represent God in our very being. We lack the moral authority to tell others what they must do when we ourselves are not even striving to put into practice what we teach. And so we know that what we say is a lie. There is a lack of peace and joy within ourselves. So, too, for us as leaders, we lack the authority to mentor and inspire those under our charge. They distrust us and are suspicious of us, for they know that we care more for ourselves than for them.
The real crisis in the world today is the crisis in leadership. This is the true cause of confusion in the world. Today, many people no longer trust those in authority, whether political or even religious authority. In the days of old, those in authority, be they corporate leaders, politicians or religious, were held in great regard and respected by the common people. Today, many are so cynical with those who take up political office, for they see them as serving their own interests, rather than the interests of the people. Similarly, too, those in religion are also losing their moral authority, because of scandals and because they live a life of inner contradiction, a dichotomy between the gospel they proclaim and the lifestyles they live. Gone are the days when we were so inspired by priests and religious. Today, many are just tolerating the weaknesses of their priests. However, for those priests and religious, as well as lay leaders in charge of ministry and organizations who live exemplary lives, matching their teaching and leadership with a holy life according to the gospel values, they are respected not because of the office or position they hold but mostly because of the moral authority they exert on others.
Hence, if we want to grow in true holiness, then we must be determined in wanting to live a holistic and integrated life. We must begin by acknowledging the lack of inner peace and joy in our hearts. Then we must pray for the courage and humility to enter deeper into our motives for what we do. Jesus reminds us that if we want to grow in holiness, then we need to go beyond the virtues of the scribes and Pharisees. We must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness as Isaiah asks of us. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Of course, we must complement our repentance with prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Most of all, we must implore God’s grace to live a righteous and holy life, for without His grace, we can never live such a life.
Holiness, in the final analysis, means living a life of integrity and authenticity. Being true to ourselves means not to behave hypocritically as Jesus cautions us, to be more than who we really are, even as leaders or persons in authority. We must know our place in life, which is that of servants of our Lord and servants of His people. Thus, we must remember that unless we turn to Jesus our Master and Teacher, we cannot find the grace to be true images of His Father as He was for us. Only He is the Teacher and the Master because He is totally faithful to Himself. For Jesus, the person is the Word, the message is identified with the person. There is no dichotomy between Jesus and the Word He proclaims. So let us turn to Jesus, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, our inner teacher, to inspire us to become more like Jesus and be configured in Him.
Yes, if we live authentic lives, then we will see the power of God at work in our lives, as the psalmist says, “To the upright I will show the saving power of God. If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.” And again, the psalmist says, “He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” When we live truly integrated lives, we will shine before man, not because we walk around as if we are gods but because in us, they see the joy, love and peace that radiates from within, reflecting our true identity as sons and daughters of God.