August 27, 2025 Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Monica
Daily Readings: 1 Thessalonians 2:9–13; Matthew 23:27–32
Today’s Gospel contains some of Jesus’ strongest words: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but inside full of dead men’s bones.” Jesus unmasks the danger of hypocrisy. Religion becomes empty when it is reduced to outward appearances, rituals, titles, or self-image, while the heart remains far from God. Like a painted tomb, hypocrisy may look impressive, but it hides decay within.
Jesus then recalls how the ancestors of Israel murdered prophets, men sent by God to bring His word of truth. The Pharisees claim that they would never have joined in such crimes, yet their very actions prove otherwise, for they are already plotting against Jesus, the Living Word of God. Their hypocrisy is not just about appearances; it blinds them to God’s presence in their midst.
St. Paul offers a striking contrast in the first reading. Once a Pharisee himself, Paul abandoned hypocrisy when he encountered Christ. He reminds the Thessalonians that he labored among them with sincerity, not only preaching the Gospel of God but sharing his very life. He encourages them to walk “worthy of God who calls you into His Kingdom and glory.” Where hypocrisy leads to spiritual death, authentic discipleship leads to communion with the living God.
These readings invite us to look into our own hearts. Do we sometimes live like whitewashed tombs, outwardly religious but inwardly far from God? Do we honor the saints and prophets of the past, but ignore God’s voice in the present? Or do we strive, like Paul, to live authentically, to let God’s Word transform us from within, so that our actions flow from a heart renewed by grace?
Call to Action: Today, let us pray for the courage to drop every mask of hypocrisy. May our lives be transparent before God, who sees not only appearances but the heart. Let us strive to live as true witnesses of the Gospel, authentic in faith, sincere in love, and ready to welcome Jesus at any moment.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
