Luke 11:37-41 After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” In our Gospel today, Jesus reminds us of the transformation of life that all of us are to experience through a life of faith. Jesus uses the Pharisees’ repugnance toward his unwillingness to adhere to the ritual washing of the hands before eating as a teaching moment, implying a simple question: Are we as concerned about the inner condition of our purification as we are the outward sign of that purification? With this question, is Jesus saying there is no need for outward symbols of our faith? Not necessarily. What Jesus is clearly saying is that we are to take seriously the inner purification that the outward symbol is to signify. Another way to ask the question Jesus is implying today is reflect on whether or not the outward symbols we display to others as a visible sign of our faith are actually reflective of the inner reality of our life? From this standpoint, we can explore the question of living our life with integrity, seeking a clear continuity between the person we present ourselves to be and the person we actually are internally. Spiritual exercise: Take to prayer the question of whether or not the person we present ourselves to be and our interior life are in sync with one another. If there is a disconnect between our outer and inner life, ask for God’s grace to assist us to rediscover our inner integrity, creating within us a true unity of person, rooted in the love of Jesus Christ. If we find that we are well integrated, ask God to deepen that faith so that we can clearly become a symbol of God’s love to world through the integrity of the life we live. Here are the 7 Themes that have emerged from week one of the Bishops Synod on Family Life. Enjoy!
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 15:00:00 +0000
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