The Holy Apostles Silas and Silvanus and those with them
Read
2 Corinthians 2:4-15; Matthew 23:13-22
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
A common criticism levelled by non-Church goers at Churchgoers is that those who go to Church are hypocrites because they infer that Church goers consider themselves holy by going to Church regularly. We know that to be a false opinion since we go to Church not because we are holy but because while we are constantly striving for holiness, we consistently fall short.
However, it is possible for the regular Church goer to be a hypocrite if one’s outer actions and appearance are merely a ruse and cover-up for ones true interior state. It is extremely easy to spend one hour a week with our parish community worshipping the Holy Trinity at the Divine Liturgy but it is challenging to extend that attitude or disposition of worship throughout the entire week when we are not in Church with our parish community.
If our outer actions and appearance are simply a cover-up of our true interior state, then we too deserve Jesus’ rebuke of hypocrisy. Rather than being an example of Christian life, we are deceivers and are truly the hypocrites that no -Church goers accuse us of being.