Pope at Angelus: May we be credible witnesses of the Gospel

By Vatican News

Pope Francis focused on two dimensions to the Sunday Gospel reading that recounts when Jesus spoke about the duplicity in religious leaders of the time who "preach, but do not practice” and "do all their deeds to be seen by others."

The gap between "saying and doing" and the emphasis on "the exterior over the interior" are aspects we need to look at in our own lives also, the Pope said in his reflections ahead of the Angelus prayer on Sunday.

Credible witnesses

Recalling how Jesus contested the duplicity of the lives of the religious leaders of his time, the Pope said this is something we also need to look at - the distance between saying and doing, preaching one thing but doing something else.

He said we need to be on guard against this "duplicity of heart that puts at risk the authenticity of our witness and our credibility as persons and as Christians."

Practice what you preach

Given our own weaknesses, practicing what we preach is not always easy, the Pope acknowledged. And this is especially true when we hold a role of responsibility in life, the society or the Church.

"To be teachers who are respected," he added, "we first need to be credible witnesses, as Saint Paul VI reminded us."

Looking good vs. being good

The second aspect follows as a consequence, he noted, the primary focus on the exterior rather than the interior.

"Living in duplicity, the scribes and pharisees were concerned about having to hide their inconsistency to save their outward reputation," said the Pope. "Indeed, if the people knew what was truly in their hearts, they would have been ashamed, losing all credibility."

Pope Francis noted that many people seek to appear righteous, to “save face” by manifesting a beautiful exterior to hide the filth inside.

"This is an awful sickness, especially for us Christians – when the exterior prevails over the interior," he said. "At times, even in the Church, we are tempted to save face, when we should be concerned about the interior so as to be consistent and credible Christians."

In conclusion, the Pope urged Christians to ask ourselves several questions about our own attitudes.

"Do we try to practice what we preach, or do we live duplicitously? Are we concerned only about showing how impeccable we are on the outside, or do we also cultivate our interior life in sincerity of heart?"

He concluded his remarks ahead of the Angelus prayer by asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to help us be credible witnesses of the Gospel.