“The Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
A lot of what we do is usually influenced by the culture of the day. We are a people who are very much caught up with appearances and the desire of having others think highly of us. Everything must seem perfect. Long before ‘Covid’ we have been wearing masks. Sometimes we even lose sight of our true identity as we become comfortable with the ‘sham’ self.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount and describes that kind of human behavior as hypocritical. He challenges us to be faithful to the love that comes from the heart. There is no need to pretend to be who we are not merely because we want to gain friends or appear esteemed in the eyes of others.
God’s love is unconditional for all of us and so there is no need for pretense. While it feels nice to be admired and praised it is even better when these accolades are genuinely earned because they come from deep within our being, our true self.