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At that time, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven – that is, the hypocrisy – of the Pharisees. There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.
Luke 12:1-2
Dear God our Father, as we remember St. Teresa of Avila who bravely fought for what is true and sublime, help us also to fight hypocrisy that is so rampant these days of mediated communications.
From the Greek word hypokritein for "masks", we keep on putting fake fronts on ourselves thinking we would look better to others and the world when in fact we end up like actors and actresses, or worst, as clowns making fun of our very selves.
Help us realize the evil that is hypocrisy as your Son Jesus Christ reminds us today in the gospel of how it acts as an accomplice to every sin that leads us to the eternal fires of hell or Gehenna.
St. Paul explained it so well in continuing his exposition about your righteousness, O God, how you have justified Abraham not with his works but with his deep faith in you; that, the more we believe, the more we obey you and your laws that Jesus had summarized in the law of love.
Whenever we think of Christ we should recall the love that led him to bestow on us so many graces and favors, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of his love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love him. For if at some time the Lord should grant us the grace of impressing his love on our hearts, all will become easy for us and we shall accomplish great things quickly and without effort.
St. Teresa of Avila, Office of Readings, 15 October
O most blessed St. Teresa of Avila who sought the truth of Jesus Christ in deep prayers and works of sacrifices, help us to be true; teach us to take off our masks, especially our religious hypocrisies for nothing is concealed with God; most of all, let us have a taste of that sweet union in God found in our being honest and true to him always. Amen.
