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Theo Tigno•
8/24/2010 3:02 pm
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Wednesday, August 25th 2010 |
Matthew 23: 27-32
Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!"
Dawg's Thought:
Today's prayer intention - for elected officials to choose life as they enact policies.
I apologize for the lack of "Dawg's thought" over the past few days. I was leading a retreat this past weekend and I am still recovering from being weary.
The retreat was for the board of directors of a ministry that serves young adults. I was recently brought in as president, and it was great to be able to look at the ministry with a fresh set of eyes.
Unfortunately, one of the things I found out was that the ministry has lacked hospitality.
It was a good opportunity to look at myself. Am I a hypocrite who, on the outside, sends out these daily readings, yet fails to live out the Gospel message? With my "Got JC?" bumper-sticker and pro-life license plate, do I send a message to others that I am "anti-life" with their lives with the way I drive?
It's easy to think about the Pharisees that tried to trick Jesus as the ones being condemned here, but it's also an invitation to look at our own lives. Do see that we have adorned the outside with the beauty of our faith, and only letting it affect the outside.
I know I am not perfect, but the desire is there to keep the inside clean. Sometimes I'll leave a notebook on the floor ... then a pen ... then suddenly the house I have tried to keep clean is a mess. It is only God's mercy that can clean the mess in my heart ... the heart of a hypocrite who is truly to unlearn his ways.
Take care and God Bless.
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