We all know the phrase, “getting to the bottom of it.” It means digging down beneath the outside appearances to the inner core of something, going from the trunk down to the root. The saying certainly can apply to humans as seen in the difference between what’s showing on the outside (behavior) and what are its inside motivations.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus certainly gets to the bottom of it when he focuses on not just the act of murder, but on anger, its underlying reason. And he does that in other settings, for instance when he moves beneath the appearances of worship down to its internal motivations, on the one hand to gain the esteem of others, and on the other to be totally open before God.

Talk about setting a standard. In coming before his Father, we are to give over our genuine selves, are to come as the person we really are down deep. And that certainly is a challenging proposition because facing my innermost (operative) motives is going to reveal a mixed bag of them, selfless and not so selfless, generous and stingy. But the point: that we come before God genuinely, virtuous and not so virtuous, admitting both inner perfections and inner flaws.

Especially do the Mystics in our tradition speak to this point Jesus continually makes. He and they counsel openness before God, transparency to our depths in both prayer and in life so as to hollow out that inner space into which the Spirit can enter. And with Vincent’s insistence on practicing simplicity, he surely joins his voice to all theirs.

Talk about a high standard — coming before God as I really am, offering my insides, its diamonds and rocks, beauties and blemishes.

This is the norm of sincerity Jesus holds up for all those who would enter his Kingdom. Openness, transparency, coming as we are, truthfulness before the God of all love.