Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

We can wonder how a certain dishwashing detergent can advertise on the bottle: “50% less scrubbing!” How can they say that without knowing how dirty the dishes are, the water temperature, the brushes, the actual effort, etc.? Jesus used very ordinary familiar images to make the point that the ritually fastidious Pharisees had in fact missed the point. He used the occasion of a meal, always an occasion for lasting impressions, to call his host to a much deeper level of etiquette and integrity.

Cleansing has always been associated with new beginnings and deep respect for the goodness within. We can take for granted that washing is the required practice for personal health, but also for the health and respect for others. The deeper challenge is allowing the cleansing action to focus on the gifts and resources that are entrusted to us in the form of stewardship. This can cover a wide scope ranging from the material gifts within our normal care to the spiritual life of the Holy Spirit, which has been infused at the core of our being at baptism. In the first reading, St. Paul reminds us of God’s personal generosity, which cannot be restricted or redirected by human ritual behavior. The surest way to decide on the best and most appropriate way of honoring the Giver of all good gifts is clear. We must seek to follow the mind and heart of the Lord Jesus. He is the “Dawn” of our salvation!

Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB