Wednesday of the 5th week in the ordinary time
Theme: Beauty is innate
The parable of Jesus in today’s gospel reading, points out the fact that there is nothing we eat that can defile an individual, rather defilement comes from the inside and is not external. This answers the question that is sometimes raised about the food sacrificed to idols. The assertion of Jesus in the gospel of today, shows that beauty is innate and from the inside. This stems from the fact that our actions are first planned and executed from the inside, before they come out externally. Whether the actions are good or bad. He enumerated some of the evil things that may be in the heart of man like fornication, theft, murder, adultery and so forth that can defile a person. So, it is left for us to work on the things in our hearts, so that they will bear good fruits when they are exposed externally. Let us continue to make conscious effort to manage the thoughts of our hearts, if we truly want to be witnesses for Christ and true children of God. Our quest as children of God always is purity of life, and we must continue to make honest and sincere efforts to make it real in our life.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is encouraging us to make honest effort to work on the inside, which is our heart and not on the external that people see, otherwise we will be living a hypocritical life; and Jesus is seriously against it. The challenge is that some of us go the extra mile to present something wonderful externally, while the inside is very dirty. Reason been that people can only see the external and not the internal. What we don’t seem to understand is the fact that it is what God thinks about us that matters most, and he sees both the internal and external aspects of our life.
Let us resolve today to make a conscious effort to have the right things stored in our hearts and not negative and evil things. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts, in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.