Today’s gospel ends with the quote, “All these evils come from within, and they defile.”  With that statement, Jesus declares all of the Father’s creation to be good and a blessing, which suggests that what defiles creation is humankind choosing something wrong.  God honors the gift of free will, the freedom to accept the consequences of one’s actions.  Again, God forgives us, allowing us to change our minds.

Recall Jesus writing in the sand, confronted by the angry priests dragging the woman caught in the act of adultery.  (I wish I knew what he wrote).  She didn’t ask for forgiveness, so Jesus told her, “Go and sin no more.”  I often wonder if this was the woman who washed Jesus’s feet with her tears.

Much in the Old Testament implies that God gets angry with humankind and prefers to destroy evildoers (Sodom and Gomorrah is just one example) and start over, but this is not what Jesus lived.  In the New Testament, Jesus stands in humility and peace, who takes away the sins of the world, and is the sacrificial lamb that eliminates our estrangement with God, handing us the opportunity to return to unity with God.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard taught us to go to the Eucharist and spend time.  We know “time heals all wounds,” but in the presence of the Eucharist, time and forgiveness heal all hearts.

Our benevolent Creator gives humanity the experience of receiving divine gifts of creation and encourages us to participate in our unique relationships as brothers and sisters.  God also gives us the blessings of celebrating the consequences of our actions as we bring gifts of joy, support, and comfort, sharing with those hungry to experience the love of God and Jesus.

Let Us Pray

Pour forth we beseech thee O, Lord, thy grace into our hearts.  That we, who are taught by the messages of our angels, may imitate in our words and actions what those messages contain and obtain what they promise, and share it with those we encounter with Christ Our Lord. Amen.