If you want to be good teachers, parents, and Catholics; then just act like good teachers, parents, and Catholics.

Wednesday, 8/26/15

In the Gospel Jesus accused the Scribes and Pharisees of being hypocrites who put on a show of being  holy man, while secretly their lives were giving over to evil behavior.

In the Greek language of the New Testament, all  actors, even honest ones, were known as hypocrites. They were men who each played a role.

With none of us being as good as we appear to be, we could be hypocrites. Maybe hypocrisy is our dominant fault.

But we should not accuse ourselves of being hypocrites for doing what we should be doing. To be a good teacher, a good mother, a good father, a good Catholic, one must play that role.

In the movie “The Verdict,” Paul Newman played the part of an Irish Catholic lawyer. He was telling the jury that if they wanted to be just men and women they should just act with justice. In that role he said, “In our Religion we say if you want to believe, then act as though you do believe, and Faith will be given to you.”

That is good advice. Without accusing yourself of hypocrisy, you should go out and act like good parents, like good teachers, like good Catholics; and you will receive the gift of becoming good parents, good teachers, and good Catholics.