*** 1st Reading ***

Galatians 5:1-6

Christ freed us to make us really free.

So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. I, Paul, say this to you: if you receive circumcision, Christ can no longer help you. Once more I say to whoever receives circumcision: you are now bound to keep the whole Law. 

All you who pretend to become righteous through the observance of the Law have separated yourselves from Christ and have fallen away from grace. As for us, through the Spirit and faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. In Christ Jesus it is irrelevant whether we be circumcised or not; what matters is faith working through love.

 

Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48

Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.

  

**** Gospel ****

Luke 11:37-41

 As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. 

But the Lord said to him, “So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.

 

Gospel Reflection

St. Paul had a big quarrel with his Christian community in Galatia. That is why his letter to the Galatians is possibly one of his most vitriolic letters! He scolds them! For what?

There were Judaisers – those who wanted the new converts “to become Jews” in order to be saved – who were disturbing and confusing the Galatians who had rejoiced in the Gospel Paul had taught, namely, that it is Faith in Jesus that saves, not the observance of the Law!

There is only one Gospel! (refer to October 5) that saves! And it is the Gospel of Mercy! In the Godpel, Jesus offers this Gospel! Of mercy to the Pharisee who invited him to dinner.

The Pharisee expected Him to meticulously observe the prescriptions of the Jewish Law even in regard to eating. So we find Jesus explaining to the Pharisee that what really matters is the observance of the true demands of the Law,

Namely, accepting the free gift of salvation, Grace (the “indicative of salvation”) and a life of mercy (the “imperative of salvation”) In the next few days as we continue reading from Galatians we will understand this more. For now, the Gospel reminds us that the sincerity and cleanliness of our hearts is more important than externalism.