Don’t Confuse Being Right with Being Holy

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is speaking to people who know the Scriptures and yet somehow they have missed God. That is scary, because it means it is possible to be religious and still resist conversion. It is possible to know the right answers and still have the wrong heart. And maybe that is the real warning today: don’t confuse being right with being holy.

The scribes and Pharisees are not condemned because they care about truth. They are condemned because they use truth as a weapon instead of allowing truth to change them. They build monuments to the prophets, but they do not listen to the prophetic voice standing right in front of them. And we can do the same thing. We can defend the faith, quote Scripture, know Church teaching, and still refuse to forgive. We can win an argument and lose charity. We can be technically correct and spiritually proud. Jesus is asking something deeper: not simply, “Do you know the truth?” but “Has the truth transformed you?”

That is why St Teresa of Avila is such a beautiful saint for today. Teresa was not interested in pretending to be holy. She was painfully honest with God. She knew her weaknesses, distractions, frustrations, and fears. But she also knew that prayer is not about appearing perfect before God; it is about allowing God to make us real. For Teresa, prayer was friendship with Christ. And real friendship changes you. If we spend time with Jesus but become more judgmental, more bitter, more impatient, then something is wrong. Genuine prayer should make our hearts more like His.

Maybe there is a simple examination for us today. When someone disagrees with me, do I immediately want to defeat them or understand them? When I see someone fail, do I secretly enjoy being proven right or do I want their good? When God corrects me through another person, do I listen or become defensive? These are uncomfortable questions, but holiness usually begins with uncomfortable honesty. Jesus does not want disciples who merely look good from the outside. He wants hearts that are teachable, humble, and willing to change.

St Teresa once understood that the great spiritual journey is not about becoming impressive; it is about belonging completely to God. So perhaps today we can ask for one grace: Lord, make me less interested in proving myself and more interested in becoming like You. Because at the end of the day, holiness is not about winning the argument. It is about letting Christ win our heart.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, save me from the pride of always needing to be right. Give me a heart that is humble, teachable, and honest before You. Through the prayers of St Teresa of Avila, teach me to pray with sincerity and to love with patience. May Your truth not only be on my lips, but take root in my heart and change the way I live. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko