AUGUST 25, 2026 FATHER HENK VAN MEIJEL
Wow, those are pretty strong words which really echo right through the ages. At least right at me too, to be authentic, to be genuine.
This is part of that long teaching after he cleansed the temple, and Jesus does not have to spare words anymore, because he knows what’s going to happen, he knows that his days are counted. But still, it is good stuff to pray with.
Are we genuine? Am I genuine? Do my words and actions match? The more someone is more upstanding, or the more authority someone has been given, the more it is important that they’re genuine. That they’re people you can trust, and that words and actions match.
When I was praying with this, I really had to think back in the time of COVID. And I won’t mention names, because, God in our world, people might even sue. But we had a major CEO of a hospital and who sent out all kinds of memos to the staff, during COVID, you know: “You got to be keeping your distance, you cannot move, you got to stay where you are, be careful about COVID,” and so on…
And here in Ontario, everyone had to stay put in their homes. Some of the medical people, they would stay, at work. They, even in their own homes, they would separate from their husband, their children, as much as possible, to be safe.
And so, one of these CEOs of one of the major hospitals, after all the memos, and all the instructions, what does he do? He flies off to the Caribbean, to his own little home there, to relax. This was after it was announced that nobody should move, he did.
Also another politician, who made all sorts of nonsense on TV that we should not travel, that we should stay home, and that we should not interact with people. What does he do? He drives 400 KM north, to his cottage. And so, words and actions. They have to match.
People see this hypocrisy. It was in the news, that’s why I know. Someone who took their power, and used it for their own gratification, to have a nice little holiday, while everyone else had to stay home.
And it’s so easy to get caught up in that. Like I said, the more power we’ve been given, the worse it can get. And I’m also talking about myself. As a priest, a lot of authority has been given to me too. And it’s so important to be authentic. To be authentic, and to live what I preach.
It takes a lot of discernment to do that. Every day, to look within ourselves. And, of course, the same is for everyone. As a parent, am I really authentic? Am I faithful? Am I merciful? And so on. Do my kids see things they should not see?
Am I safe, or am I honest at the grocery store? Or do I slide a few things past the scanner, without saying, “Ah, I just got it.” Kids will see it. And it’s very hypocritical, especially when we start to talk about being honest.
In the first reading of 2 Thessalonians, it’s attributed to Saint Paul, but it’s probably written by the Pauline community, one of his disciples, addresses the end times. The end times, that not to be alarmed, the day of the Lord is here, live authentic lives.
There was really a movement there, in the Early Church, that the second coming of Christ was imminent. Christ was going to come, and then we will all will be judged.
There’s something in our human nature that we all don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die. And nobody wants to suffer. And we have, through the ages, and it doesn’t matter if it is in Christianity, or any other religion, or culture, there’s this doomsday thing. That somehow, we’re all going to die, and that’s going to be the end.
And it sells very well. Or it’s not ‘selling’, but a lot of people can get convinced. We have the Jehovah’s Witness movement, which do also plenty of good things too. But it’s based on doomsday. That we have to prepare for the last day.
And people get caught up in that. That you either are in with us, or you’re not in with us. But it’s about our serenity with God.
I remember when I came to Canada about 50 years ago, I did associate a little bit with some of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they said then, I was told: “Well, it’s going to happen within 30 years.” Well, I’m now 50 years later, I’m still waiting. Where is it? Where is the second coming?
Because none of us, know. In Matthew, our Gospel of today, just a little bit further, one chapter further, Jesus says: “But about the day and the hour, no one knows. Neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
It’s important, so we do not know the day. Because it’s about living every day authentically. Having, if there’s tensions in my relationships, to have them fixed up. To at least try to get healing. Trying to get healing with those around us. It’s not always possible, but at least try.
To live honest lives. And when we have honest lives, we have peace of heart. And that peace of heart, we don’t have to worry, it will bring us back to God. God, of course, at the end, it’s only by God’s grace that we go to heaven. And that we have to just trust.
But it starts by living authentically. And, of course, in the saints, we have so many examples of saints who really lived authentic lives. Who were true to their word. Who really are examples to us.
Today the optional memorial is Saint Louis IX, king of France. He lived 1214-1270. Died at age 56. Who was very much a believer. He was someone who was merciful, who built a kingdom, and he he died of typhoid, in Tunisia, during one of the crusades.
It’s not that we have to agree that he went on a crusade, that he led a crusade. But he was someone who lived what he taught. He was not afraid to go out there, and also take a beating, so to speak. He was also merciful. He had every opportunity to abuse his status as king. He could have it all, and could do whatever he wanted. But yet, he followed Christ. He knew he was a son of Christ, he knew he was broken, and believed in God’s mercy. He was authentic.
It’s so important again to daily look at ourselves, to be people of faith and examples for others. Amen.
