In the first reading of today, Paul is full of joy because the Thessalonians lived their faith so genuinely that people could see the change in their lives. They turned away from idols and put God first. Their faith was not hidden — it was alive, contagious, and inspired many others. They preached more with their lives than with their words.
In the Gospel, we meet the opposite example. The Pharisees looked religious, but their actions were empty. They were so hypocritical that they loved the peripherals rather than the actual effect of things. They were more concerned with appearances and rules than with love and integrity. Jesus calls them “blind guides” because their religion had no heart. They prefer showmanship rather than being real about serving God and their practices
Put together, these two readings ask us: Which example am I living? Am I like the Thessalonians whose everyday choices make others believe in God? Or am I like the Pharisees, whose contradictions make others doubt? Am I a hypocrite who says another and does another.
In our families, at work, and in society, people may never read the Bible, but they read our lives. There are people who look up to us. What do we show them?. If our words and actions match — if we are kind, honest, and forgiving — then our faith becomes light for others. But if we pray loudly in church and yet cheat, gossip, or mistreat others, then we risk becoming “blind guides.””
The call today is simple: let our faith be authentic. Not for show, not only in words, but visible in how we live. Like the Thessalonians, let our lives open the door to God, not close it like the Pharisees.
PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL
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