My car broke down and we were having it checked under the sun. My dad went under the shade and bought himself a cold drink. He’s not the expressive type, so I was frustrated up to now that he didn’t even invite me to the shade with him. Then I remembered—I’m old enough to make a decision to go there and join him! Where was I coming from? An old emotional wound that led to years of judgment against my dad. My inner child still longed for a father’s affection. I’m being healed, but sometimes, I fail in how I deal with him. 

Wash and make yourselves clean. We need to heal from our wounds that cause us to sin and hurt others. By exposing these wounds to God, He can wash and make us clean. Then we can stop hurting ourselves and others. You don’t become perfect when you heal. But you will soon find yourself no longer affected by previous triggers and can love others better. 

That day, I smiled, bought my own drink, and joined my dad under the shade. When I addressed my hurt, I began to see what was loving in him. 

Dreus Cosio (andreus.cosio@gmail.com)

reflect

Struggling with a sin? Addiction? Where are you coming from? Allow God to wash you clean by letting Him love you in your struggles.

Dear Lord, I open my life to You. I offer my life to You. Heal me and use me for Your glory. Amen. 

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and Doctor of the Church, pray for us.

We struggle to do good works. Sometimes, we have to work hard to do good over and above other things that are easier to do. Part of growing in holiness is choosing the ways of God. Let us pray for the grace to not allow the values of the world to dominate us. 

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! ¹⁶ Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; ¹⁷ learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. ¹⁸ Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord. Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. ¹⁹ If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; ²⁰ But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken! 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

⁸ “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. ⁹ I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” (R) ¹⁶ “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, ¹⁷ Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) ²¹ “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. ²³ He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” (R)

Gospel | Matthew 23:1-12

To be a living witness of the Gospel means having our words and actions aligned with each other. Jesus reminds His listeners that they must always act on the truth, whether or not the person speaking the truth acts on it. It is always hard to accept a difficult truth when the person teaching it fails to live up to it. Integrity in preaching is important. Jesus’ ministry was powerful because He always lived what He proclaimed.

Gospel Acclamation

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

¹ Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, ² saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. ³ Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. ⁴ They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. ⁵ All their works are performed to be seen. They widentheir phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. ⁶ They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, ⁷ greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ ⁸ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. ¹⁰ Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. ¹¹ The greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read GENESIS 22 - 24 today.

An experienced spiritual directress and friend of the community gave us a recollection about the gift and challenge of authentic prayer and worship. She left a persuasive question that led us to a candid self-examination: “Do you pray your Masses, or do you perform them?”

To perform means to fulfill a task or to carry out an action. It can also mean doing an act in a stagey or exaggerated way so as to win the praise of others. When it comes to worship and prayer, God desires the former, not the latter. More than “doing,” prayer is “being.” It is soaking in the presence of God, not a performance. 

In the Gospel, Jesus sternly criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their pride and superiority, pretense and superficiality. Instead of making religion as means to attain fullness of life and spiritual freedom, they have turned it into an intolerable burden for the people. Instead of leading the people to devotion and conversion, they have turned them into spectators of their religious fanaticism and exhibition. 

God looks straight at our heart. He desires our witnessing rather than merely worshiping hearts. When we fail to worship God authentically, we end up worshiping ourselves. 

Fr. Paolo Asprer, SSP

reflection question

How do you pray?

Heavenly Father, purify my motives for worship. May Your Spirit lead me to be present, or to behold Your Presence, and not to perform; to pray in secret to You and for You alone. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________