💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 14 💖

First Reading - Romans 1:16-25

Gospel - Luke 11:37-41

In our world today, appearances often carry great weight. People spend so much effort trying to look good — to appear successful, virtuous, or respectable in the eyes of others. But God looks deeper. He is not impressed by how things appear on the outside, but by what lives within the heart. Today’s readings invite us to examine whether our faith is merely external or truly rooted in love for God.

In the first reading, St. Paul boldly declares, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” Paul reminds the Romans — and us — that real faith is not about outward ritual or status but about the transformation that comes from believing in the truth of the Gospel. He warns that when people turn away from God and follow their own desires, their thinking becomes darkened, and their hearts grow empty. In other words, when faith loses its inner conviction, it becomes hollow — a shell without life.

In the Gospel, Jesus dines with a Pharisee who is surprised that He does not perform the ritual washing before eating. Jesus uses this moment to teach a powerful lesson: true purity is not about external observance, but about inner sincerity. “You clean the outside of the cup and the dish,” He says, “but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” What Jesus challenges is not the act of washing, but the hypocrisy of appearing righteous while the heart remains unchanged.

Dear friends, God desires authenticity — a faith that begins in the heart and naturally expresses itself in action. External practices are good, but they must spring from inner love and conviction. When we give alms, forgive others, or come to Mass, it should not be to appear good, but because our hearts have been touched by God’s mercy.

This means allowing God’s Word to cleanse not just our behavior, but our motives. It’s easy to go through religious motions while keeping resentment, pride, or selfishness within. But true holiness begins when we invite God to transform our inner life — our thoughts, our desires, our intentions. As Jesus says, “Give alms from what you have, and then everything will be clean for you.” When love motivates our actions, even simple gestures become holy.

God is not seeking perfect appearances; He is seeking honest hearts. A clean heart will naturally produce pure actions. The challenge for us is to live our faith not as a performance, but as a genuine response to God’s love.

So let us ask ourselves: are we more concerned about looking holy or being holy? Do our outward actions reflect an inner relationship with Christ?

May we allow God to cleanse us from the inside out, so that our faith may shine not through show, but through sincerity — through kindness, integrity, and compassion. Then, like Paul, we too can live unashamed of the Gospel, for it is the true power of God that renews the heart and gives life to the world.