"Purify the inside first, then the outside, too, will be purified"

It means that true cleanliness or righteousness must begin with inner moral

and spiritual cleansing, not with mere outward appearances or actions.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Thessalonians 2:1-8

You well know,

Brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in vain. We had been ill-treated and insulted in Philippi but, trusting in our God,
we dared announce to you the message of God, and face fresh opposition.

Our warnings did not conceal any error or impure motive, nor did we deceive anyone.

But, as God had entrusted his gospel to us, as to faithful ministers, we were anxious to please God,

who sees the heart, rather than human beings. We never pleased you with flattery, as you know,

 

nor did we try to earn money, as God knows. We did not try to make a name for ourselves among people,

either with you, or anybody else, although we were messengers of Christ, and could have made our weight felt.

On the contrary, we were gentle with you, as a nursing mother, who feeds and cuddles her baby.

And so great is our concern, that we are ready to give you, as well as the gospel, even our very lives, for you have become very dear to us.

 

Ps 139:1-3, 4-6

You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 23:23-26

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You do not forget the mint,

anise and cumin seeds when you demand the tenth of everything; but then, you forget what is most fundamental in the law:

justice, mercy and faith! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup,

with theft and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them. Blind Pharisee! Purify the inside first, then the outside, too, will be purified.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Purify the inside first, then the outside, too, will be purified."

Fine detail is important, but if the fundamentals are wrong or missing, no amount of fine tuning will make it right.

For example, the fruit of a combined effort of various countries was to send a probe to Mars.

After years of precision work, the project ended in failure, with the probe exploding in space,

as the teams had used different units of measure to build the components.

 

Likewise, if we ignore or mess up the fundamentals of our faith, no amount of devotions will bring integrity to our lives.

This is Christ's criticism of the Pharisees, who dedicate so much attention to following the tiniest prescription of the Law,

while ignoring the bedrock of that Law: justice, mercy and faith. So is there a consistency and coherence in my life?

Does my prayer life connect to my actions? Does my faith underpin my life choices or is there a split

between my religious practice and my dealings with others at work or at home?

The small stuff is important, but only after we've made sure the big stuff is in place.