💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 17 💖

First Reading - Romans 1:16-25

Gospel - Luke 11:37-41

During pandemic, one of the things that was regularly observed by us was regular washing of our hands or sanitization. Certainly, cleansing is required for hygienic purpose. The readings of the day draw our attention to spiritual hygiene by cleansing our hearts because our hearts can become devious which can be manifested in our actions. 

The gospel passage presents a customary practice of washing of hands. This practice is usually common in every place even today. We do wash our hands before meal to ascertain that we take food with clean hands. In the gospel passage of today, Jesus was invited for a meal by a Pharisee. The host noticed that Jesus did not wash his hands as per the customary practice. Perceiving the hardness of the observance of custom, Jesus teaches a lesson about interior cleansing. Apparently, it looks as if Jesus was trying to rule out the need of external cleansing but is not so. The emphasis of the passage is to focus on the preliminary needs of our lives rather than getting tied up with petty observance of the law. Jesus teaches us to keep our hearts clean from all the vices just as we observe external cleansing for our body.

The first reading focuses our attention on the depravity of humanity. Paul refers to God's anger which is inflamed against the wickedness of humility. He also mentions about causes that have inflated the wickedness of humanity as pride and man-made gods or idolatry. Paul warns people against willful rejection of God stemming from pride and making of idols as their gods for their advantage. 

Dear friends, the Book of Proverbs 4:23 says: "...Guard your heart..." It's indeed needed as Matthew 15:19 says: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." The teaching of Jesus on cleansing of heart takes us far from mere ritual cleansing or physical cleansing to interior cleansing or cleansing of heart. The ritual cleansing or ablution can cleanse us from physical dirt but it cannot cleanse us through and through including our inner self or dirt that is settled in our hearts. 

Paul in the first reading reminds the Christians that it's pride that is in us can lead us away from God or fail us to recognize God. This is also true for us that it's pride in us can make us feel that we are ok or there is no dirt in our hearts that needs to be removed. We need to overcome this pride in us to recognize dirt settled in our hearts. 

Let's make every effort to cleanse our hearts by daily examination of conscience and frequent visit to the sacrament of reconciliation etc. They will help us keep watch over our hearts.