Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Also Read: Mass Readings for 01 September 2024 Mass Reading Reflection for 01 September 2024
Gospel: Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15,21-23
Acting is lucrative. It is an art and a profession. It pays well to be an actor. We enjoy watching them on screen, on stage or on social media and we pay them well for entertaining us. Often, we seem to appreciate more the reel heroes than the real heroes.
An actor playing a soldier in an action movie may get millions of dollars while the real soldiers who risked their lives to protect us may be struggling to pay the bills. While our parents, farmers, teachers, doctors, nurses, drivers, doctors, and scientists struggle to keep it going, the actors who play such roles on screen get appreciated and rewarded manifold. We need to recognize the real heroes.
God loves the real. Jesus condemns hypocrisy.
There are many who hardly appear on screen or on stage yet live acting. It is called hypocrisy. Today’s gospel throws light on such actors. Jesus attacks head-on those acting to be devotees and worshipers of God. They were so consumed in acting that they forgot they were acting. They thought by talking, walking, dressing, and washing in certain manners they were worshipping God. They tricked themselves into believing that they were the best of the believers and worshippers.
When one is sick, one can cover it for a short while by acting strong and healthy. Unless he accepts that he is sick and approaches a physician, takes the prescribed medication, and proper rest, he will pay for it with his life. It is not uncommon knowledge that many died of sicknesses they pretended not to have.
Stop pretending to be holy, but start attempting to be holy by depending on the mercy of God. Humbly accept the sinfulness before God and pray that He makes us holy.
Thus, there are two important lessons we need to carry home today: (1) start appreciating the real heroes in our lives, starting from our parents, teachers, the ordinary people around us, our internal and external defense personnel, healthcare professionals, the scientists and so on, more than the reel heroes who entertain us for a few moments.
The second lesson is more important (2) resist acting in real life. Be what you are. Be proud to be a son or daughter of God above everything else. Always live a life that honors our Father in Heaven. A true and humble heart pleases God more than everything else.
Amen.
