First Reading (2 Thess 3:6-10, 16-18).
Reading of the Second Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians.
We command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who behaves disorderly and contrary to the tradition he received from us. You know how you ought to follow our example, for we did not live among you in idleness. We did not receive our food free from anyone, but we worked hard and laboriously, night and day, so as not to be a burden to anyone. Not that we did not have the right to do so, but we wanted to set ourselves as an example for others to follow. For when we were with you, we gave this rule: “Whoever will not work must not eat.” May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every place. The Lord be with you all. This greeting is written in my own hand, Paul’s. This is how I sign all my letters; it is my handwriting. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Matthew 23,27-32).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
At that time Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also appear righteous on the outside, but on the inside are full of hypocrisy and injustice. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part in the murder of the prophets.’ By this you confess that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. Complete therefore the measure of your fathers!”
— The Word of the Savior.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine a beautiful home, majestic on the outside, with spotless white walls and a meticulously tended garden. But when you open the door and step inside, you are met with a dilapidated interior—broken furniture, peeling walls, the smell of mold in the air. This powerful image of contrast between outward appearance and inner reality is at the heart of today’s readings, challenging us to examine not only our outward actions but also the deepest motivations of our hearts.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus has harsh words for the scribes and Pharisees: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
What a shocking analogy! Jesus is not mincing words here. He is exposing the hypocrisy of those who care more about the appearance of holiness than about true inner transformation. Whitewashed tombs were a familiar image to Jesus’ listeners. In ancient Israel, tombs were painted white so that they would be easily identifiable, preventing people from accidentally touching them and becoming ritually impure. On the outside, they looked clean and pure, but on the inside…well, we all know what’s inside a tomb.
This image invites us to do some deep and honest introspection. How often do we care more about the appearance of our faith than its substance? How often are our acts of piety more about impressing others than pleasing God? It’s easy to fall into the trap of superficial religiosity, focusing on external rituals and rules while neglecting the inner transformation that God truly desires.
Jesus continues, “So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” These words remind us that God sees beyond appearances. He looks at the heart. We cannot fool Him with a facade of holiness. He knows our inner struggles, our secret thoughts, our true motivations.
But be careful! Jesus’ goal is not to condemn us, but to call us to a deeper authenticity in our faith. He wants us to be “open tombs”—transparent in our struggles, honest about our failures, and open to the transformation that only God’s grace can bring about in us.
Now let’s turn our attention to the first reading, from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians. Paul writes, “We command you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who is leading an idle life and contrary to the tradition you received from us.”
At first glance, this passage may seem disconnected from the Gospel. But looking more closely, we see that both readings are about integrity—the agreement between what we profess and how we live.
Paul is addressing a specific problem in the Thessalonian community: some members were living an “idle life.” They had stopped working, possibly believing that Christ’s imminent return made work unnecessary. But in doing so, they were becoming a burden to the community and contradicting the example Paul and his companions had set.
“For when we were with you, we gave you this rule: Whoever would not work should not eat.” This statement is not a condemnation of the poor or the unemployed, but a call to responsibility. Paul is emphasizing the importance of contributing to the common good, of living in a way that builds up the community rather than burdens it.
Here we see a deep connection to the gospel. Just as Jesus condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Paul is calling the Thessalonians to an authentic faith that manifests itself in concrete actions. It is not enough to profess faith in Christ; We must live this faith in our daily lives, in our work ethic, in how we treat others, in how we contribute to our community.
So how do we integrate these readings into our lives? How do we avoid being “whitewashed tombs” and become authentic disciples of Christ?
First, we need to cultivate radical honesty before God and ourselves. We must be willing to look at the “dead” areas in our lives—the sins we hide, the attitudes that need changing, the habits that contradict our professed faith. This self-examination is not to condemn ourselves, but to make room for God’s transforming grace.
Second, we must seek a faith that manifests itself in concrete actions. As James says in his epistle, “faith without works is dead.” This does not mean that we are saved by our works, but that a living faith will inevitably produce visible fruit. Why not ask: How is my faith impacting the way I treat my family? How does it influence my work ethic? How does it move me to serve my community?
Third, we need to remember that transformation is a process. We don’t become saints overnight. It’s a lifelong journey, full of ups and downs. The important thing is to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, trusting in His grace to shape us more and more into His image.
Finally, Paul reminds us, “May the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in all circumstances.” This peace is not just the absence of conflict, but a deep peace that comes from knowing that we are loved by God, not because of our outward perfection, but in spite of our inward imperfections.
My dear brothers and sisters, may we be a community marked not by hypocrisy but by authenticity. May our lives not be like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but empty on the inside, but like fertile gardens where God’s grace can flourish and bear abundant fruit.
May the Holy Spirit give us the courage to be honest with ourselves and with God, the strength to live out our faith in practical and visible ways, and the humility to continually depend on God’s grace in our journey of transformation.
And may the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds, today and always. Amen.
