28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Red)
St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop & martyr
Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
1st Reading: Rom 1:16-25
For I am not ashamed at all, of this Good News; it is God‘s power, saving those who believe, first, the Jews, and then, the Greeks. This Good News shows us the saving justice of God; a justice that saves, exclusively by faith, as the Scripture says: The upright one shall live by faith.
For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness, and injustice, of those who have silenced the truth by their wicked ways. For everything that could have been known about God, was clear to them: God himself made it plain. Because his invisible attributes—his everlasting power and divinity—are made visible to reason, by means of his works, since the creation of the world.
So they have no excuse, for they knew God, and did not glorify him, as was fitting; nor did they give thanks to him. On the contrary, they lost themselves in their reasoning, and darkness filled their minds.
Believing themselves wise, they became foolish: they exchanged the glory of the immortal God, for the likes of mortal human beings, birds, animals and reptiles. Because of this, God gave them up to their inner cravings; they did shameful things and dishonored their bodies.
They exchanged God‘s truth for a lie; they honored and worshiped created things, instead of the Creator, to whom be praise for ever, Amen!
Gospel: Lk 11:37-41
As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, ”So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.
REFLECTION:
The ”outside and inside of the cup and the dish,” as stated in the gospel, represent the exterior and interior aspects of man. Today, it is evident that there are people who, like Pharisees, are concerned much of their outward appearance but disregard their inner disposition. We should realize that doing something good is not enough, one must do it from the heart. A person could enjoy the esteem of other people by performing acts of charity even if he is not internally disposed; but if such acts are done with right motivation, it is not merely praiseworthy in the eyes of man but also in the eyes of God.
Since for Luke almsgiving constitutes an essential part of the Christian ethical life, he challenges us, especially those who have, to share with those who have not. This connotes doing acts of charity to those in need with pure intent. We are reminded that what makes us clean is not just established ritual practices but crossing boundaries to help those in need. For He who made the outside, also made the inside, and He judges both.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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