Righteous in the Heart

“Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.”

Luke 18:9

First published as “False Piety” on October 23, 2022.

It can be a temptation for regular churchgoers to think perhaps we might be in some way better than those who only go to Church once in a while or never at all. This can be dangerous territory. Absolutely. Should we go to Church every Sunday? Absolutely. Is it good that we go to Church every Sunday? Does it make us any better? Not necessarily.

The answer lies in the intention that is within our heart. Why do we go to Church? Because we have to? Because it’s an obligation? What do I do at Church? Do I simply stand when others stand, sit when others sit, kneel when others kneel, and say the responses from memory? Our physical bodies may be in those pews, but where are our hearts?

In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus discusses the concept of “self-righteousness” and the eternal consequences of that. Both went up to the Temple area to pray, but only one actually prayed, while the other boasted about himself. Although the Pharisee went to the Temple, his heart was not set on God, but rather on all of the good things he thinks he is doing. On the other hand, the tax collector in his humility and perhaps even in his shame, bows down his head and pleads for mercy to God. Both were in the same place, in the same sacred space, but only one for the right reason. God only heard the tax collector because only the tax collector was talking with Him from his heart. Who do we talk to when we pray?

Brothers and sisters, where are our hearts? Do we focus on what we have done and the many good things we may be doing or do we focus on the many good things God has done for us, through us, and in us? Prayer is not about talking at God, but rather talking with God. True piety requires humility and knowing that we are not perfect and are in need of God’s mercy. May we seek true righteousness of heart and not self-righteousness. Let us take a good look at our hearts today and invite God inside, confident that He will hear us and have mercy on us.

“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

For What Do We Thirst?

“Jesus answered and said to her,
‘If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘
you would have asked him 
and he would have given you living water.’”

John 4:10

What are the things that we thirst for in our lives? Do we thirst for power? Fame? Wealth? Other people’s approval and affirmation? What are the things that we convince ourselves is what our hearts truly desire? The Samaritan woman went to draw water from the well at noon to that she might quench her physical thirst and have water to use around the house. But Jesus knew she thirsted for something more. There is a deeper desire that yearns to be fulfilled, but no water from any earthly well can satisfy it. It is a desire for something that transcends the bounds of time and space. It is a desire and thirst that can only be quenched by something that is supernatural, something that can only be satisfied by God.

When Jesus first encounters the Samaritan woman, she was only concerned with what could relieve her of her immediate and physical needs — water and the convenience of not needing to go to the well again. Jesus says to her, “If you only knew the gift of God…” Jesus encourages her to be bold in her prayer, to be bold in her requests because of to whom she is making this request. God can grant you what your heart really wants. Ask for it. While the woman simply asked for water so she did not need to run back to the well in shame for fear of rejection from the others (for she was an adulterer), Jesus wanted to give to her freedom from this fear and shame. He wanted to give her new life.

Jesus wants to do the same for us. He wants to give us the living water that will free us from the things that hold us bondage — from the things that cause us fear and shame, the things that we feel others will see us differently if they knew about them, the things that we so desperately hold on to to maintain some sort of control or power. Jesus comes to us today and asks us “Do you thirst for a new life of freedom?” What are the things that we thirst for? Do they lead us to freedom or do they keep us chained down? Let us, in humility, ask the Lord for the grace and strength to be honest with the things we have been thirsting for and to turn to Him and boldly ask for the living waters, the water that will truly quench the thirst in our hearts and souls. May we never forget “the gift of God” to which Jesus invites us and may we never receive it in vain.

For another reflection on the Samaritan Woman at the Well, see this reflection.

For a deeper study of this powerful encounter, see last year’s Lenten Conference, “Meeting Jesus at the Well.”

Foolish in the Eyes of the World

As you may have guessed by the famous painting of Rembrandt that is sprinkled throughout the website, the Parable of the Prodigal Son holds a very special place in my heart. Today’s Gospel reading is this parable. We have the privilege of hearing this parable at Sunday Mass every three years on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. This parable is really a masterful love story about a father whose mercy is so boundless that it appears foolish to the world, but that does not stop the father from loving and forgiving.

The parable begins, “A man had two sons…” where the younger decides that he’s had enough of home and dares ask his father for his share of the inheritance, virtually saying his father is dead to him. The father seemingly foolishly divides his estate up and gives it to him. Without a word of gratitude, the younger son sets off on his “new life” of debauchery and drunkenness, wasting every last penny of his share of the inheritance. When push came to shove, he’d rather hire himself out to foreigners to do work that no Jew would or could lawfully do instead of returning home. Isn’t this the story of many of us? Even when we have made decisions that we knew were bad and as the consequences were slowly manifesting, we remain stubborn and obstinate, refusing to ask for help or to admit to our wrongdoing. Instead we convince ourselves, “I’ve got this,” not from a spirit of trust in God’s Providence, but rather a spirit of excessive pride. Thankfully (and hopefully) the scales from our eyes and the locked door to our hearts eventually fall and unlock, and we come to accept that we have not always been right and we “turn around” and reach out to those whom we know will always answer us when we call. No surprise, the younger son in the parable also eventually came to his senses when he was literally fighting pigs for food. When he makes it home, his father embraces him and kisses him. His father sees only his son and not the hurtful things he may have said or done. All that matters is that his son is home. The same goes for God, our Father in heaven.

At this time I will not explore too much of the parable, but if you are interested, you can read, listen to, or watch the different reflections and conferences I offered on this beautiful encounter.

Let us always remember that we have a Father in heaven who is like the father in this parable who loves us so deeply that He seems like a fool to those without faith. He patiently waits for us to come home and when we do, He does not scold us or scream at us, rather, He embraces us and reminds us of our truest identity: His beloved sons and daughters, and nothing — no sin, no evil can ever take that away from us. How blessed are we!