Everybody has something to say about God. Priests say one thing. Pastors say another. Preachers preach, and scholars study. Add to that the millions of testimonies available on social media. They say He is Father, Creator, Provider, Miracle Worker, Lord of lords, and King of kings. But who is God?

Often, we project our own beliefs and principles onto God. We create a version of God that justifies our human wants and needs. This is where things go wrong. We start to have our own little gods.

God reveals Himself to us not only in our own personal relationship with Him, but through the greatest love letter ever written: the Bible. This is the version of God that’s real. 

The only version of God that we should acknowledge. Let us not make our own god. Let us always be faithful to the One True God.

Karren Renz P. Seña (karren.sena@gmail.com)

reflect

“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” (Romans 1:25)

Lord God, lead me always to Your Word, so that I may always hold on to the truest version of You. Amen.

Saint Callistus I, pope and martyr, pray for us. 

Today’s reading teaches us about the nature and role of our conscience in making decisions. Paul affirms that every person has access to the truth of who we are as human beings. This truth forms the foundation of our conscience and judgment as guided by the truth. May we listen to the voice of our conscience and follow its lead.

¹⁶ Brothers and sisters: I am not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. ¹⁷ For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.” ¹⁸ The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. ²⁰ Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; ²¹ for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. ²² While claiming to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes. ²⁴ Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshipped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5

R: The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

² The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. ³ Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. (R) ⁴ Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; ⁵ through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message. (R)

Gospel | Luke 11:37-41

At times, Jesus’ frustration with the legalism and shortsightedness of the Pharisees becomes evident. Today, let us reflect and examine our lives to see if we are also guilty of these. We cannot totally avoid legalism. There are times when we rely on this to understand a situation because it is easier than taking into account the nuances. Let us listen well to others, be slow to judge, and be merciful in our decisions and actions. 

Gospel Acclamation 

The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

³⁷ After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. ³⁸ The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. ³⁹ The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. ⁴⁰ You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? ⁴¹ But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

Reflect:

What do you find legalistic in the teachings of the Catholic Church? 

How can you better understand the Spirit behind this teaching?

Read the Bible in one year! Read MICAH 1 - 3 today.

After our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, we probably now have a better appreciation of the practice of always washing our hands. Yet, it has taken on a new meaning in the faith of the Jews as a religious ritual. Jesus knew that the value of handwashing was not just ritualistic but also practical. So even if, in the Pharisees’ eyes, He did not wash His hands, it is possible that He did, although maybe not in accordance with their method. Therefore, in essence, it was not the act of handwashing itself that Jesus criticized, but the mindset and behavior of the Pharisees before Him.

In the Gospel today, it appears that the invitation of the Pharisee to Jesus was just a trap. They scrutinized His every move to have sufficient reason to accuse Him before the Jewish court. Perhaps this is why the Lord said, “You, Pharisees, judge the outside appearance of the cup and dish, but your insides are full of greed and wickedness.”

Until now, there are still modern-day Pharisees who exhibit arrogance and judgmental behavior. What is even more disheartening is that, sometimes, they are the ones who are perceived as “devout, churchgoers, and religious.”

Let me share this anecdote. Once, the parishioners noticed women’s clothes hanging outside the room of their parish priest. This became a topic of conversation among them. Fortunately, one parishioner took pity on the priest and showed concern for him. This parishioner asked him, “Father, why are there women’s clothes outside your room? Some people are saying that maybe you have a woman with you in the room, or maybe you dress as a woman when you are inside the room. What is the truth?” The priest blushed and said, “Perhaps those people who gossip don’t know how small the collection (love offering) is in our parish. That’s why I was forced to accept laundry work!”

Fr. Franz Dizon

reflection question

Do you tend to easily judge others? Ask God for the grace to overcome this.  

Lord, help us to do what is right as an expression of our faithfulness to You, but may we not judge others for their shortcomings and, instead, let understanding and acceptance prevail. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________