“It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills.”

  

In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act.  - George Orwell: (1903 – 1950: was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic)

 

Gospel Text: (Matthew 23:27-32)

Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

 

How about you?  Can you take an honest look at your own soul and name what you see?  Hopefully you will see goodness and virtue and rejoice in that.  But you can be certain you will also see sin.  Hopefully not to the extent that the Pharisees had “every kind of filth.”  But nonetheless, if you are honest you will see some dirt that needs to be cleaned.