Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:23-26

Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

What is it that we are willing to give to God?  In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is trying to refocus our vision of giving to include that which comes from the heart.  The Jews at the time of Jesus gave 10 percent of all their material belongings, but neglected to consider their spiritual treasures which rested within their hearts.  The treasures of judgment, mercy and fidelity are not physical items, but items which define our love for God and our compassion for others.  So why the reference to the spices? What is the importance of a few simple spices from their earthly treasures?  In the days of Christ, spices were used to cover up the spoiled tastes and smells of the food to make them palatable. Jesus tells his disciples while it is important to have the spices, we must make sure that our souls are not spoiled. We must look inward to our own heart before we look outward. We must make sure that we are worthy, body and soul, for the Lord. To cleanse our soul, we must first know how to tell if it is dirty. We do this by the process of examining our conscience. This is an exercise we should do daily. Every evening we should kneel down and reflect on the things that transpired that day; the good things and the bad things. We should look at the things that moved us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven and those things that diverted us. We should reflect on how we can make ourselves better people and reflect on the sins that kept us from God. By looking inward, we check to make sure that our soul is clean. If our soul is truly clean, then our outer image will also be clean. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.” It does no good for us to look clean if internally we are dirty. Would you drink from a cup when the inside of the cup is unclean? Who cares what the outside looks like if the liquid is in contact with filth. Through the examination of conscience, we make ourselves aware of the things that make our soul unclean. However, to truly purify the soul, we must go to reconciliation. Reconciliation is the dishwasher for our souls. We go in dirty, and we come out clean – both inside and out.

A Simple Prayer

Most Heavenly Father,

Make me aware of my sins and trespasses,

Help me avoid these sins so my soul remains clean.

Fill my heart with your compassion and love

So I may find the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon