October 15, 2013
Feast of St. Teresa of Avila, virgin and doctor of the Church
28th Tuesday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Reading: Denunciation of the Pharisees
Lk 11:37:41
After [Jesus] had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside to the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you
My Reflection
This gospel reflects what I've been working on myself for the past years. I've been active in the church for 6 years now, and I try my best to be a good person, but I know that I have my short comings and that sometimes, I forget how to behave and act as Jesus did in times of trial.
There are times when I hide from the people I am with in church because they might see who I am outside of service. I'm like a cup that's clean on the outside but rotten on the inside.
With God's help, I was slowly able to overcome this. It's a slow and very difficult process, but I know God is with me, and that I can overcome this obstacle. He sent me good people to help me transform into a better Christian. Just like the Pharisee, all I needed was a wake-up call of what I have been doing wrong.
Nothing's wrong with being rotten inside, as long as you take steps to clean yourself up, to make yourself worthy of Christ's love. Everyone starts out as a sinner. Repentance is what's important.
There are times that I tumble and I go back to being the bad old me, but as soon as I realize this, I pray for forgiveness and try to correct my actions. I know that God loves me despite my lapses in judgement, and I want to deserve that unconditional love by changing for the better.
