BEADS OF JOY 10-11-16
“The Pharisees Foolishness”
©2016 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today’s Gospel: Luke 11:37-41 (The Pharisees Foolishness)
“While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.”
Reflection:
Where is it more important to be clean outside or inside our bodies? Yes, while the outside is very important, the inside by what it represents, is even more important. Inside of us we all have a mind and a heart and a soul; if that is filthy and dirty and unclean, is it not that more offensive than unclean hands? Jesus was teaching the Pharisees a lesson, possibly deliberate in its intention; but very helpful to all who can learn by reading the scriptures. There is such evil that comes from an unclean heart, such as greed, pride, bitterness, envy and even arrogance.
Jesus asks of us to give alms from “those things which are within”; if we keep our insides clean and pure and focused on God we will have love and mercy and compassion. Our hearts will be filled with so much love that we will always put others first and we will have a sincere willingness to help others. We must allow Almighty God to transform us, cleanse us and guide us to keep our mind and our hearts and our spirit clean.
What is the best method to this cleanliness? Daily prayer! Mass often! Confession often! Adoration! Bible study! Fellowship! There is so much, but you get the general idea. Some enjoy prayer more than bible study, while others enjoy adoration more than the rosary. We all have preferences in devotion, that’s fine, the point is that we spend time with Jesus, Mary and Prayer in some form each day. The more “good” we put in the cleaner and purer our mind and our heart and our spirit will be. If you fill a cup with garbage, you can only pour out of it garbage. But if you fill it with pure clean water, you will pour out, pure clean water. The answer is simple, more time with Jesus every single day, His influence and His friendship will make you a much better, cleaner person, inside and out. I am always praying for all of you. Talk to you tomorrow.
LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
**(NEW DAILY FEATURE)
Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:
The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46
Thank you Lord for loving us so much…
Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html
