By Newton Basumatari csc –
Readings: 1 Kgs 10:1-10; Mk 7: 14—23
Very often we are pre-occupied with our external appearance and try to keep ourselves clean, and for this, we spend lots of money and our time. By being externally clean, we think that we can hide our inner reality. To some extent, our hidden reality may contradict our external appearance.
In today’s first reading, we hear about King Solomon who was known for his wisdom. It is not easy to be a wise person. To be wise, we need to ask God to guide us in every step we take. For God to speak to us, we need to be pure both externally and internally.
In the gospel, Jesus tells people that impurity does not come from outside to inside. The Jews are particular in defining food, norms, and customs because of which the Scribes and Pharisees could not accept that Jesus was dining with the sinners and tax collectors. Jesus was not interested in public appearances like the Pharisees, but saw into the hearts of people.
Through this passage, Jesus invites us to purify our hearts. When our heart is pure, we start loving our neighbors and friends. When our heart is filled with so many things, we have no place for love, and we tend to judge people based on their external appearance. We fail to see the goodness they have. Often, in our communities and families, we tend to judge others based on their appearance and fail to show sensitivity towards our members.
Today, let my prayer be ‘Lord, help me be sensitive to show my love to my friends instead of judging them based on their appearance.’