Mark 7:6
“… This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Today’s Gospel talks about how the Pharisees called the disciples of Christ unclean. The Pharisees were being hypocritical; how about us?
How many of us say that we follow the commandments and precepts of the Church? How many of us attend Mass and receive the Body and Blood of Christ?
How many of us before we even leave the parking lot have taken our Lord’s name in vain or spoken ill of another parishioner?
How many of us turn the other way when we encounter a homeless person?
How many of us don’t take the time to attend Mass on Sundays?
How many of us have used birth control methods to prevent pregnancies or even had abortions?
How many of us are too busy accumulating materials goods and not spending time taking care of our spiritual needs?
The list could go on and on. We say one thing, but mean or do another. We send mixed messages to our children: Do as I tell you, but not as I do.
Help me, Lord Jesus, to do your will. Help me to follow the commandments and precepts of the Church. Come, Lord Jesus, enter my mind and heart so that my heart may guide my mind in doing what you expect of me.
Although we never think about it, this issue has a huge impact on family life in general: Older kids see that their parents are acting hypocritically and the kids therefore want to have nothing to do with the religion that their parents orally promote. We need to remember that actions speak louder than words.
ReplyDeleteWe also like to give lots of excuses about why sin (at least I do, anyway). But in the end, I/we need to ask myself/ourselves, "Does this revoke the authenticity of my/our Christianity?" (There are a million other ways to phrase that question; this one just came to mind).
I agree with you; however, regardless of how much I/we may sin, "This does NOT revoke the authenticity of my/our Christianity" Our Lord, Jesus Christ, will live on, waiting for me/us to return to him. Remember He is always there waiting for us; we are the ones who MOVE away.
ReplyDelete