Hypocrisy and the Spirit of Truth

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Saturday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time Year II and the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, October 17th, 2020

Texts: Eph. 1:15-23; Ps. 8:2-7; Luke 12:8-12

Today's gospel reading is a continuation of yesterday's. Today Jesus tells us what hypocrisy is: it is a failure to acknowledge God before men; it is a denial of God before men. We may claim association with him in name, but in thoughts, deeds and words, we betray him. Jesus assures us that if we give up hypocrisy that heavenly host will know us. Hypocrisy, too, is not without consequence; it makes us alien to heavenly host. He says, "Every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will  acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God."

He also reminds us that hypocrisy should not lead us to the denial of truth; a definitive denial of truth is a sin against the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, promised by Jesus Christ. Jesus says, "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  He is our teacher, the teacher of truth, and also the guarantee of our inheritance. So the rejection of him is the rejection of heaven. If our hypocrisy leads us to deny the truth, then we have lost heaven. This is a call to take seriously the truth of our faith. 

It is also the Holy Spirit who brings about conversion and sanctifies us; when we reject the Holy Spirit, we reject conversion and holiness. This reminds us to always listen to the Holy Spirit, that inner voice which reprimands us when we are wrong and that yearning for good, we are to listen to it.

St. Paul, in today's first reading, tells us the importance of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and of revelation. Holy Spirit enlightens the eyes of our hearts, that we may know the hope to which we are called, the riches of Jesus' glorious inheritance and the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, a successor of St. Peter, perhaps, second in line of successors. He was a martyr. His letters show that he was a man who completely surrendered to the Will of God. In his letter to the Romans, he says, "Here and now, as I write in fullness of life, I am yearning for death with all the passion of a lover. Earthly longings have been crucified; in me there is left no spark of desire for mundane things, but only a murmur of living water that whispers within me, 'Come to the Father' ." His desire for God is great and lofty. This kind of desire is the action of the Holy Spirit in man. Let us welcome Holy Spirit into our lives.

We pray you Lord to fill us with your Spirit that we might know the truth and be free. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke