OPEN MINDEDNESS OF JESUS! ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Tuesday, 11^th October 2016,

Twenty Eighth Week of Ordinary Time

Gal 5:1-6;

Ps 118:41, 44-45, 47-48;

Lk 11:37-41

OPEN MINDEDNESS OF JESUS!

The Pharisees prided themselves to be clean by practicing customs and traditional practices. They divided the society into clean and unclean, claiming themselves to be clean and the Gentiles as unclean. Through their man-made rules and regulations they shut the kingdom of God to the ‘unclean’. They tried to appear clean while their hearts were full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

God reads the hearts of people. If the inside of a person is darkness, the whole person is in darkness and such a person cannot be a man of God, nor is he able to guide others to God. Jesus gives a strong message to all, especially the religious leaders, to be people of godly values with good character and moral integrity. Only a good person can produce the fruits of the Spirit, namely “Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22 – 23).

In the Gospel we see a Pharisee inviting Jesus to dine with him. Jesus knew the intention of the Pharisee who invited him to dine with him. He wanted to find fault and accuse Jesus. But Jesus took this opportunity to correct the opinion of the Pharisees. Jesus was a man with an open mind. He went to dine with the Pharisee and corrected him. We too have so many opportunities in our day today living to correct the opinion of the people we meet. Do my religious practices make me an agent of peace and unity in the society in which I live?

Prayer: Lord, make us honest, genuine and truthful. Make us aware of the hypocrisy everywhere, but don’t let us forget our own hypocrisy. Help us to realize that this reform like all others must begin from within and that means within our own minds and hearts. Amen.