From the Inside

  

The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080514.cfm) reminds us that what makes a person unclean does not come from outside, rather, from the inside.

It is easy to appear good to other people. Superficial level. Surface level. Mukhang mabait, mukhang magalang. Mukhang matulungin. It is easy to organize and attend socio civic activities that alleviate poverty. It is easy to organize fundraising activities for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. It is easy to attend prayer gatherings and appear holy. However, doing these things does not necessarily mean that goodness is inside the person. God sees beyond the superficial level.

He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”

What makes us clean, or unclean, comes from the inside. Organizing and attending such activities with hidden agenda, may make no difference in the surface level. Probably money will still go to the poor even if the intention is not really to help them, but to build up your reputation. Seems the same, but God sees what is in our hearts. God sees if our service to him is genuine or fake. God sees is our worship is pure or not. These things will make us clean or unclean in God’ eyes.

God is reminding us today to check our hearts. Check our reasons and intentions for doing good to others, for worshipping God. Is it really to give back to God, to share our blessings to others, or just for our personal hidden agenda? God sees what others cannot, so we always have to pray that we be guided and our intentions always be pure as we do things for God.

Do I always pray that my intentions be pure as I serve God? Do I even reflect to see what my intentions are, or am I satisfied with merely doing things? Do I judge others based on their actions, or do I pray for guidance to discern their intentions?
Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for reminding me that what makes me unclean comes from inside. Lord, help me purify my intentions as I serve you, as I do things for you. I know it is easy to get distracted in this world. May I always put the focus on you, and may my reason for doing these things be to praise and glorify you, not myself. Amen.
Blessed day!

In Christ,
-g-

Ps
See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-inside-out.html http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2012/08/stay-awake.html
http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/08/from-inside-out.html