Inside...Who Are You?

~~~ Galatians 5:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 11:37-41 ~~~

....neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything...

...the prescribed washing before the meal.

Both Paul and Luke are speaking in the same
 tone about what is important.

Paul says it does not matter whether you are circumcised or not.

Luke writes Jesus saying whether or
not I washed before eating is not important here.

It is so easy to miss the point.

It is never about working our way through
all of the prescribed ritual laws...

it is about our relationship with God.

This is where you should be focusing your attention.

There may be good reasons for circumcision. 

There may be good reasons for washing of hands before eating, 

but this is not THE focus here.

We are invited to go deeper...to go one more step toward the Lord.

The real focus should be on your personal relationship with God.

Nothing about the external rituals is as worthwhile 

as to the condition of one's heart and soul.

 ...through the Spirit, by faith, 
we await the hope of righteousness.

What benefit is it to our eternal salvation if we follow to the letter
 the prescribed laws and rituals if we go about
trampling on our brothers and sisters.

Faith helps us to act justly out of love.
To treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated.

If we become too preoccupied with laws and rituals
it may be at the expense of own destruction.

When we become too occupied with the laws
 we can become calloused to the needs of real people.

Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

Jesus is very blunt.
Meticulously following the laws and rituals are equivalent
 to polishing up the outside of the cup.
But the outside often holds the reflection
of what should be given closer consideration within our heart.

If you despise those who are less fortunate
by holding them only as a reflection on the outside of the cup
you have missed the entire message of Jesus.

External appearances can be deceiving...just so you know.
When you raise the cup, look inside. Who do you see?
Is that who you truly are...
The person who looks back at you in the mirror each morning;
is that a good replica of what is on the inside?

Follow all of the rules and rituals meticulously,
but do not stop there...
For what is inside is far more important in the end.

Blessed to look inside and face the real you.
~~~Peace~~~

Cleansing the Inside of the Cup

~~~ Memorial of Saint Monica ~~~

~~~ 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 139 ~~~ Matthew 23:23-26 ~~~

 

When you have learned something exciting
it is hard to keep it to yourself.

A surprise party for instance is hard to keep to yourself.

 

Paul was thrilled to share with the inhabitants of Thessalonica

his affection for them.

He was more eager to share all that he had learned about God.

 During this process he also shared his very self with them. 

 

With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the Gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
 

God began working on Paul from the inside out

way before he was knocked off his horse...

way before his eyesight was shielded.

God knew him from his beginning.

God had created him placing in him the ideal qualities

to lead others to a conversion of heart.

Then God gave Paul the grace of acceptance.

 

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me...

 

Today we are only given a few verses from this magnificent psalm 139.

I invite you to pick up your Bible and read the entire psalm.

Make it personal; pray it mindful of yourself.

You cannot shock or surprise God;

he knows your inner most depths.

The greatest part about God knowing us

is that he patiently waits for us
to get to know ourselves as he knows us.

Maybe this is what it means to take delight in the Lord.

 

 

 ...cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.

 

Thinking of this cup led me to ponder translucence and transparency.
God sees us from the inside and from the outside.

...a translucent medium allows the transport of light
while a transparent medium not only allows the transport of light
but allows for the image formation.

Cleansing the inside of the cup would diminish
 the amount of distortion as the light passes through the object.
Jesus is the light which we strive to reflect.
His light first passes into our soul...
when his light enters into a 'cleansed cup' it allows
 for a better image formation.
This image which others can see through me and through you.

God created you with great care and love;
through your Baptism the inside of the cup was cleansed.
Now the maintenance is up to you.

Blessings come in cleansing the inside of the cup.

 

Saint Monica, pray for us.