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Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Reflection for August 4, Tuesday; Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14


Gospel: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.” He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.” Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.
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Reflection:
Are we strict observers of our faith’s many traditions? Nothing is wrong with this in fact this is very good. However, observing our faith’s tradition becomes useless when we don’t live our faith. For example, the teaching of Jesus about forgiveness, what is good with observing our faiths tradition if we don’t forgive? Another example is the teaching of Jesus about loving our enemies, what is good with strictly observing the tradition if we don’t love our enemies?    

Many Pharisees and scribes were so good at observing their many Jewish traditions but when it comes to living their faith they were miserably very deficient. The Pharisees and the scribes were very particular of the fake exterior, the pretence. But Jesus is very particular on the pure interior, the real us, the things that we do when nobody’s around to see.

Let us therefore do away with our exterior pretenses because this is not good and it doesn’t please God. What pleases the Lord is our internal conversion and renewal. What appears outside of us no matter how beautiful is of no use to Him and the Lord is not impressed by it.

Are we very particular with our exterior appearance but very much deficient when it comes to our internal  renewal? – Marino J, Dasmarinas 

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