Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1: Galatians 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
It is I, Paul, who am telling you
that if you have yourselves circumcised,
Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Once again I declare to every man who has himself circumcised
that he is bound to observe the entire law.
You are separated from Christ,
you who are trying to be justified by law;
you have fallen from grace.
For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.
For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything,
but only faith working through love.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48
R. (41a) Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Let your mercy come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Take not the word of truth from my mouth,
for in your ordinances is my hope.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will walk at liberty,
because I seek your precepts.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will delight in your commands,
which I love.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
And I will lift up my hands to your commands
and meditate on your statutes.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
Alleluia: Hebrews 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.”
Meditation
Beloved in the Lord, today’s readings invite us to undergo a deep and radical conversion. They challenge us to examine ourselves and ask: What truly makes us Christians? What enables the world, and even those within the Church, to recognise that we belong to Christ?
In the first reading, the Apostle Paul explains that what truly matters is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision. In the Gospel, Jesus also teaches us that ritual washings and outward religious practices are not enough to make a person righteous before God.
In Jewish society, circumcision was very important. It marked one’s belonging to the people of the Covenant and served as a visible sign of faith. But Jesus shifts the focus. Outward signs are not the most important thing. God looks first and foremost at the heart. True purity begins within and is then expressed through our actions, the way we love, and our behaviour towards others.
Today, Baptism is the sacrament through which we become Christians. Yet, it is possible to have received the waters of Baptism without truly allowing God’s grace to transform our hearts and our inner selves. So let us ask ourselves: Am I a Christian simply because I wear a cross? Because I go to church? Because I sing Christian songs? Because I regularly participate in the activities of my Christian community? All these things are important, but they are not enough.
A Christian is recognised above all by the way he or she lives.
A Christian is recognised by gentleness, patience, self-control, kindness, mercy, concern for the weak and the vulnerable, the desire to proclaim Jesus Christ, and the hope that remains alive even in times of trial. At work, in my family, in my neighbourhood, in my Christian community, among my friends, and even when dealing with those who hurt or irritate me, my behaviour should bear witness to the One I claim to follow.
For the greatest proof of our Christian identity is not the cross we wear around our necks, but the cross we willingly carry out of love. It is not merely the Christian words we speak, but the acts of love, forgiveness, patience, and mercy that we put into practice. We must therefore turn our attention inward and ask ourselves the questions that truly matter:
Do I reflect the goodness of Jesus? Am I gentle when I am provoked? Am I humble when I am right? Am I able to forgive when someone hurts me? Does my presence bring peace, or does it create further division? In every circumstance, do I genuinely strive to imitate the character of Jesus? Being a Christian, therefore, is not simply a matter of belonging to a religion. It means gradually becoming another Christ to the people God places along our path.
Let Us Pray
Lord, grant us the grace to be, in every circumstance, witnesses and apostles of Your love and mercy. Transform our hearts so that the way we live may reveal Your presence to everyone we encounter. Amen.
Intercession
We pray to You, Lord, for all those who sincerely desire to become more like Jesus. Despite their weaknesses, their falls, and their struggles, grant them the grace to persevere on the path of conversion.
Mother Mary, pray for us.
Spiritual Exercise
Today, let us deliberately perform an act of kindness towards someone who often irritates us: a kind word, an act of service, a thoughtful gesture, or simply the decision not to respond with anger.
Flora KAMTA
(Community of the Living Disciples of Christ)
