Dear Parishioners,
What is our heart condition? The readings this week speak about our heart condition. Jesus sees what is in the heart of people. (Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Ps 15:2-5 [1a]/Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)
The heart is the center of our spiritual life just as it is the center of our biological life. Our thinking comes from the heart. Also, our desires and fears arise from our heart. That is why Jesus is perfectly clear when He says that from the heart come evil thoughts, lust, and many other undesirable behaviors. Thus, we sin from within, not from outside.
Although washing hands is a good practice to maintain good physical health, it has nothing to do with our spiritual health. To avoid sin and thus maintain purity, we need to follow God’s commandments; the greatest of them is to love Him and to love others as we love ourselves. Indeed, it is important that we make our body clean, but it is far more important to keep our mind and heart free from evil thoughts and sinful desires.
God Bless,
Deacon Howard
