August 25th: Internal Cleansing

Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of the cup first so that the outside also may be clean. Matt.23: 23-26

We are in a lockdown again, because of an upsurge of Covid19 cases in our country. We know that there are protocols to be adopted by all churches. These are very important to contain the spread of the virus.

I was taken aback, though, when I heard a priest in his homily share about how he noticed these protocols were being executed in an unnamed place. Yes, we must make sure hands are sanitised or washed, temperatures are taken, and social distancing practised. We should, however, be careful, not to make others feel uncomfortable and embarrassed in the process.  To do so, would be to make us no different to the Pharisees, who scrupulously followed the cleanliness laws, but had lots of filthiness, like greed and lack of charity, inside.

I, too, must constantly, examine myself. Am I pleasing God in the right way? Am I too taken up with the letter of the law? The heart of God’s command is love and everything must flow from that love.