💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 16 💖

First Reading - Galatians 5:18-25

Gospel - Luke 11:42-46

As humans, we are finite and prone to errors. The mistakes we commit give us a chance to evaluate the paths we have chosen. Having analyzed the mistakes, we can still begin afresh. This is also possible in our spiritual life. We commit sins due to our inclinations or weaknesses, but God in His goodness gives us a chance to return to Him and begin our journey anew. Today’s readings invite us to look into our spiritual life, and if we have gone astray from God, they exhort us to return to Him in repentance.

The first reading lists the "works of the flesh" and the "works of the Spirit." Paul reminds the Christians that both the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit are evident in our actions. A person motivated by the works of the flesh indulges in sin, whereas a person motivated by the works of virtues is prompted to act according to the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Hence, Paul urges the listeners and readers to be motivated and guided by the Spirit.

In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus expresses moral indignation and sorrow at the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, who have placed obstacles between the common people and God by overburdening them with unnecessary, impractical, and seemingly limitless interpretations of Mosaic laws. Jesus leveled three accusations against these religious leaders, naming specific misbehaviors:  

1) They had misinterpreted the spirit of the Law, making it a heavy burden for the God-fearing common people. Jesus cited tithing as an example. God intended tithing as an expression of gratitude to a providing God, as mentioned in the Books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. However, the scribes instructed the people to pay tithes on insignificant things, such as kitchen-garden plants, with great mathematical accuracy, while they themselves neglected justice and love of God in their private lives.  

2) The second accusation was that the scribes and Pharisees were notorious for seeking status. They demanded that the common people give them special honors because of their expertise in Mosaic Law and their faithful religious observance. They expected to be given front seats in the synagogue and public greetings in the streets as marks of respect.  

3) Jesus compared the scribes and Pharisees to the whitewashed tombs along the roads leading to Jerusalem. In preparation for the three major Jewish feasts—Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles—the tombs were whitewashed so that pilgrims would not be ritually defiled by unknowingly stepping on one. Jesus accused the Pharisees of being morally corrupt, hiding injustice and immorality inside themselves, and covering this corruption with pretensions of piety and religious fervor. Thus, they contaminated others with their rotten and dangerous ideas of God’s demands.

Dear friends, we know about the overwhelming mercy of God, but there is also the judgment of God, which is unavoidable. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and scribes because He wanted them to realize the deviated path they had chosen in guiding and leading the people. He wanted them to lead the people according to God’s will, in justice and love. However, His condemnation should be seen as a reminder for them to return to God’s will.

We are also invited today not to get stuck in our spiritual journey by our weaknesses and failures. There is always room to return to God in repentance. The Church offers us opportunities to return to God and receive His mercy in the Sacrament of Confession and in the Eucharist. Our stubbornness in sin can only test the mercy of God and eventually lead us to face His wrath, which would be tragic. Let us never miss the chance to receive God’s mercy.