Jesus continually calls us to act on His word, to be a doer and a healer. Today’s gospel is not a ticket to stop following the rules of our faith, but a call for a deeper understanding of what we believe. When we follow the rules only out of obligation and do not pay attention to what is going on in our hearts, we run the danger of becoming shallow.
If we are only going through the motions our hearts can become bitter and hardened. It is not enough to honor the Lord with our lips, we must respond to His word with love and compassion for everyone. Jesus asks us to look inward, to discover those things that are within us that may be distracting us from his love and mercy.
So today, let us ask the Lord to search our hearts and give us the grace of self-knowledge so we can love one other and build up the Kingdom of heaven here on earth.
Jesus, purify my heart today.
