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october 17 2006

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr

Gal 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.

Ps 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 commandsand meditate on your statutes.
R. Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.

Lk 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.”

It is puzzling to me also why Jesus would not follow a handwashing rite before the meal. It seems to be the prescribed practice. I need to know perhaps more about the Biblical custom of the time. The lesson of being cleaned on the exterior and not the interior is clear. Giving of ourselves, acting in charity is a way to make ourselves clean. To love God and love others. It means to put ourselves aside.

I was given a ten dollar check from a medical education group as an honorium after completon of a module they designed and filling out a course evaluation. I presented to the prioress last night with the thought in mind that usually gifts of $10 or less are ones the Religious Sisters are allowed to keep. I was told to sign it over to the community. I was surprised but I was not in the least reluctant. After the event looking back on it today, I am grateful to the Lord that I was not attatched to the $10. There are many times that possessions can possess a person. I am glad that I can give freely and cheerfully. The Lord has given me another opportunity for charity and a chance again to clean my heart and soul in the course of simple daily events.