5 November, Sunday — Pure Waters

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mal 1:14-2:2,8-10
1 Ths 2:7-9,13
Mt 23:1-12

[Y]ou accepted it for what it really is, God’s message and not some human thinking…

A tour guide commented to me once when I traveled overseas that the waters from the mountaintop are clean, but it is dirty by the time the waters reach the valley. He was citing this example to me to illustrate the challenges that came about in implementing government policies, because the decisions taken by the local government did not help to promote tourism. The readings of today remind me of the importance to staying focused on our mission as a Christian.

The Pharisees had lost their purpose and direction as religious leaders. They were very particular about adherence to ritual purity. The issue lay not within the adherence, but the neglect of, the bigger issue of putting the person in the centre of the discussion. The human being is created in the image and likeness of God — it is thus with this in mind that we need to ensure that we understand how to treat the individual person as a Child of God.

We live in difficult times with competing ideologies putting to us different challenges. It could be deciding the performance of a colleague during a work review, or how to build an organisation with empathy. These will require each one of us to have a prayer-filled life. Prayer cannot only be a one-off action, but must be done continuously and daily. St Paul reminds us in the second reading that he worked very hard to proclaim the Gospel to the extent of his life.

Only when our starting point is based on the principles of Christian living can we ensure that our actions do not in any way ‘pollute’ the minds of the people whom we meet. As we enter into a new work week, let us not neglect what God has called us to do but instead, to focus on taking on each task with a sincere and dedicated spirit of God guiding our decision.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)

Prayer: Jesus, let us remember that you are at the centre of our lives.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all the people who have shown us their love for God.