Whitewashed Tombs
Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
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!”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“…on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
The Gospel today again shows Jesus accusing the Pharisees. Here He is accusing them of looking faithful, but not really being faithful. This is a good lesson for us. What good is it to look like good people if we aren’t really being good people?
Look at the difference between the Pharisees and Jesus. The Pharisees look good, but they aren’t really pleasing God. Jesus is made by the Pharisees and Sadducees to look bad, but He is really Goodness itself. So, which is better—to look good and to be bad, or to look bad and to be good? Are we willing to do the right thing even though it might cost us our reputation? If we are to be good Christians we have to learn to forget about human praise and approval from those in our family, at our job, in our school, etc. Our concern shouldn’t be that we appear well and good, but that we actually are well and good.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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