TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
27 AUGUST, 2025
Matthew 23:27-32
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!”
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!
REFLECTION
In this passage, Jesus exposes the danger of outward religiosity without inward transformation. The Pharisees maintained a polished image but harbored corruption within, much like whitewashed tombs hiding decay. Their actions showed reverence for past prophets while their hearts resisted God’s truth in the present. The Lord warns us not to settle for appearances or empty rituals, but to allow His Spirit to cleanse and renew us from within. True holiness is not about what others see, but about living authentically before God, with hearts aligned to His will.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, search my heart and cleanse me from hidden hypocrisy. Help me not to live for outward appearances but for genuine faith that flows from a pure heart. May my life reflect integrity, humility, and love, so that my actions honor You both in public and in private. Keep me from empty religion and fill me with Your Spirit to walk in truth. Amen
