THE PURITY OF LIFE COMES FROM WITHIN AND NOT FROM OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF A PERSON

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 13th October, 2020.

Readings: Gal 5:1-6, Ps. 119, Luke 11:37-41

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE PURITY OF LIFE COMES FROM WITHIN AND NOT FROM OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF A PERSON

Our society is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Integrity has become virus to be eliminated. Morals and virtuous acts are no longer valuable. Heroes of deception and fraudsters are honored and celebrated. This unhealthy attitude of humanity is what Jesus is addressing in our Gospel passage today. For when a Pharisee invited Jesus to a dine at his house, he was surprised that Jesus had not first washed before the meal. 

But Jesus said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.

Here, the Pharisees were so much interested with the outward appearance and the ‘letters’ of the Law, that they neglected the ‘spirit’ of the Law. However, Jesus made it clear that the purity of the human person is not based on outward appearance of a person but, from the good fruit of virtues that comes from the human soul, because outwardly we may appear to be good and pious, but in reality, our hearts are full of wickedness, immorality and sin.

Little wonder St. Paul in our first reading, reminded us that our salvation is due to our faith in God and not just on the Law or the obedience to the Law. That is why he rebuked those who forced and demanded that every members of the Christian faithful should embrace circumcision according to the Law of Moses. Therefore, letting us to know that without faith, all of our good actions, obedience and the observances of the Law will be empty and meaningless.

Dear friends, today we are called to look within ourselves, and purify our inner being and so make our outward appearance reflect our inner being. We must ensure that our faith in God is pure and genuine by letting our whole lives be inspired by virtuous and truthful actions of our daily activities. Therefore, let our attitudes begin to change our society that is full of artful deception, dishonesty and fraudsters. Let our lives bear good fruits of integrity, love, purity and faith.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, our hearts are full of corruption, greediness, wickedness and immorality, give us the grace to purify our lives with virtues of integrity, honesty, purity and love, we ask this through Christ our lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful day.