HOMILY OF THE 21ST WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: THE GOD WHO SEES THE HEART
BY: Fr. Paul Karabari
“These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
(1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. Psalm139:1-3.4-6. Matthew 23:23-26).
Beloved in Christ, today’s word pierces the veil of superficiality and calls us to a faith that is not shallow but burning, costly, and real. The apostles carried a message that was not polished with manipulation or ambition but borne in wounds, in rejection, and in courage. They did not hold back their lives for comfort’s sake; they poured out their very souls because love demanded nothing less. True service is not measured by titles or applause but by the willingness to bleed, to bend, and to be broken for the sake of others.
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The psalm reminds us that nothing is hidden from the gaze of the Almighty. Every thought, every intention, every whisper of the heart is laid bare before Him. You can mask your words before men, you can polish your image before society, but you can not escape the searching eyes of the One who formed you. His knowledge is not to condemn but to awaken us, to shake us from deception, to remind us that He desires truth in the inward parts. To be known by God is both terrifying and tender; it strips us of masks yet wraps us in mercy.
And then the Lord speaks in the Gospel with words that shatter complacency. He denounces leaders who worship appearances, who polish the vessel while rottenness festers within. He names hypocrisy for what it is: a blindness that pretends to see, a religion that sacrifices justice, neglects compassion, and tramples on trust. What is the worth of outward rituals if the heart is hard? What is the value of tithes, if the poor are crushed and the broken left without healing? God does not hunger for hollow performances; He demands authenticity, integrity, and love that flows from the secret chambers of the soul.
Therefore, beloved, the call is urgent and clear: we must cleanse the inner life, we must surrender the hidden places, we must allow the fire of the Spirit to burn away pretence and pride. Let us not live for human approval but for the gaze of the One who knows us completely. Let our devotion not be painted smiles and empty ceremonies, but living sacrifice, burning compassion, and unshakable faith. When the inside is purified, the outside will shine with a beauty that can not be faked; a beauty that draws others, not to us, but to Christ. May the Lord grant us the grace to be true, to be faithful, to be vessels of light in a world hungry for the real. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God bless you and your household always through Christ, our Lord Amen.
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