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Manila Bulletin

Opinion

Give alms

Opinion

Give alms

By Manila Bulletin

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Being close to poor folks and those considered as sinners does not make Jesus shun the company of the more respectable in society.

In the Gospel, he sits at table as guest of a Pharisee. To the Pharisees, ritual cleanliness is very important; a person must wash his hands before eating (Mk 7:2) and all tablewares must be cleaned with scrupulous care.

The host is surprised that Jesus ignores this ritual washing. Jesus takes the occasion to talk about external rites and inner goodness. He calls for an inner purification that translates into deeds of mercy and the love of God: “Give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you” (v 41). In his time, the prophet Isaiah condemned the formalism attached to rituals like fasting, a day to afflict oneself.

Fasting — or ritual cleansing — is not genuine without a true social morality: “Sharing your bread with the hungry, bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own flesh” (58:7).

Gospel • Luke 11:37-41
After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.

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.
You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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REFLECTIONS 365 Days with the Lord

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