Your Father who sees in secret will repay you

True piety “shines through” naturally; it cannot be faked.

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The more a person strives to be pious, the more people suspect the genuineness of his or her spirituality. On the other hand, true piety is shown more in its being subdued, in the person’s humility. Jesus warns against a type of piety that is only “for show.” And we know it is only “for show” when it is exaggerated or forced, and when we see that the person’s life is not consistent with her or his supposed piety. Fake pious people love conspicuous places; genuine ones retreat to lowly places, like the tax collector in the Gospel parable. Fake pious people talk about their pious practices; genuine ones do not mention them at all, or rarely. True piety or godliness is more seen in the quality of one’s actions, disposition, and behavior. It shines through by the way we treat others, in simplicity and in little things, not in mere appearance or use of tools or instruments. What sort of piety are we cultivating or practicing?

First Reading - 2 Cor 9:6-11