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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Saint Teresa of Avila, whose feast day we celebrate today, is one of the great female theologians in the Church.
In fact, she holds the distinct honor of being a Doctor of the Church, meaning her teachings and writings are of particular importance or theological depth.
One of her most popular works is The Interior Castle, where she likens the soul to a castle made of a single diamond. Within that castle, there are seven different rooms, each one leading a soul closer to God.
Outside of this castle, there are venomous creatures that spend their existence trying to prevent us from ever entering within, reducing us to a shallow existence.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus accuses a Pharisee of never entering his “interior castle,” because his understanding of religion is built entirely upon the externals of the Law.
For example, according to the Law, a person’s hands had to be washed in between each course of a meal.
First, water had to run down one’s hands from the wrists to the finger tips. Then the palms were to be cleansed by rubbing them together with more water. Then water had to run down the hands third time.
For a Pharisee, to omit even the slightest detail of handwashing was considered a sin.
At this particular dinner, Jesus leaves his hands unwashed to prove a point. If this Pharisee were half as committed to purifying his heart as he was to washing his hands, then he’d be a saint!
In modern lingo, we might accuse him of being religious, but not spiritual; he’s law-abiding, but not compassionate. As Jesus says to him, “You cleanse the outside, but inside you are filled with plunder and evil.”
This poor man’s interior castle is dusty and dark.
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What is my own inner life like? Do I find myself inching my way closer to God? Or is my devotion weakened by temptation, fear, or worldly attachments?
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The ultimate meaning of life, Teresa says, is to experience union with our Creator who loved us into existence.
With Teresa’s intercession, how might we move even deeper into our interior castle today?
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Image credits: (1) Saint Teresa of Avila, Catholic Online (2) Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, England, iStock (3) Rooted Thinking
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Imagine someone decided to write a biography about your life. What would you hope they’d share? How would you want to be remembered?
Now imagine that author was a self-declared enemy of yours, and the only account the world would have of your life is what that person decided to write. How might the story change?
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Today we celebrate the life of Saint Callistus 1st, pope and martyr, who died around 222 AD. All we know about his life was written, ironically enough, by his sworn enemy, Hippolytus.
Both Callistus and Hippolytus were Catholic. Both died as martyrs. Both are now revered as Saints. So, why were they sworn enemies?
At the time these men lived, the Church was still very young. Doctrines about who Jesus was, what he taught, and how Christians should live their lives were still being hotly debated – as can be the case, to some extent, today.
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Hippolytus was known for being exceptionally stringent and rigid in his theology. Christians needed to live austere, near perfect lives. He also believed some sins couldn’t be forgiven in confession, such as sexual immorality, denouncing the Catholic faith, or murder.
Callistus, on the other hand, chose mercy, freely opening the doors to repentant sinners. After demonstrating their sorrow over a particular sin, Callistus believed they should be welcomed back, as Jesus urges in today’s Gospel.
Perhaps his heart was so open to forgiveness because he himself had been shown mercy; Callistus was born a slave. Over the course of his storied life, he became entrusted with much – from his master’s fortune, all the way to becoming an advisor to the pope!
A few years thereafter, he himself became pope, serving a short term before being martyred, likely in an anti-Christian riot. Memory of his life – and insistence upon mercy – endures to this day ironically because of his rival, Hippolytus, who held a far stricter view of God and the Church.
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So, what might the story of Callistus say to us?
There’s an undeniable goodness about Christians, which transcends time, even rivalries. In the words of Jesus, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father.”
How might I share such goodness today?
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Image credits: (1) Biography (Bio) (2) Etsy (3) A Catholic Life
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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There’s an old saying, “People vote with their feet.”
Our feet take us where we want to go, and they prevent us from going where we don’t.
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In today’s Gospel, a rich young man’s feet bring him to Jesus.
There’s something very beautiful and ironic about this aristocrat falling at the feet of our penniless Lord.
Although this man has both a religious heart and material wealth, something is stirring inside of him, which his riches – and even observance of the Law – cannot satisfy. He senses there’s more to life. A deeper, fuller happiness, which he cannot seem to find.
So, let’s give credit where credit is due. He’s a truth-seeking, religiously observant youth who would make any parent proud, even today.
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This man hears of Jesus and seeks him out. “Good teacher,” he says, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” A sincere, praiseworthy question.
“You know the commandments,” Jesus says. Then he lists a few of them: laws against murder, adultery, theft, lying, defrauding, and the need to honor one’s father and mother.
“All of these I’ve observed from my youth!” the man says. God knows it. But there’s a limit to this man’s devotion; all of the laws Jesus mentions pertain to a person’s relationship with their neighbor, not necessarily one’s relationship with God.
So, looking at him, Jesus, “loves him.” This is the only time in Mark’s Gospel where Jesus is recorded as loving someone. And what does that divine love do?
Like a surgeon carving out a malignant tumor, the Lord cuts through this man’s heart, seeking to remove the one thing suffocating his devotion.
It’s not how much wealth he possesses that matters; rather, it’s how much it possesses him.
“You are lacking in one thing,” Jesus says. “Go, sell what you have. Give to the poor. Then, come, follow me.” Only then can the rich young man love the Lord with all of his heart, mind, body, and soul.
It must’ve felt like a gut punch. This rich young man looks inside of himself and weighs his options. Voting with his feet, he regrettably walks away from the Lord, returning to his estate poorer than when he left.
This becomes the first time anyone rejects Christ’s invitation to follow him.
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Like each of us, this man wanted to follow Jesus. He wanted to be holy. Just a few verses prior, he runs up to Jesus, seeking his wisdom, eager to do his will.
Ultimately, what prevents this man from following the Lord is something we can all suffer from at times:
Fear.
He’s afraid of taking a leap of faith.
He’s afraid that, if he gives up all of his belongings, then he won’t be happy. He’ll be sad. He’s afraid that, if he follows Jesus, then the Lord will take everything fun away from him. He’s afraid of missing out on life.
He’s afraid that “eternal life” might only come after years of suffering; of generous, penniless living.
Perhaps this man walked away that day hoping there was still another way; an easier, way; a road more traveled, allowing him to maintain the status quo, some semblance of a relationship with God.
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I’ve felt this fear in my own life. I remember walking through the doors of the seminary fifteen years ago, starting my studies for the priesthood.
I wondered deep inside, “Can I really do this? Can I give up all that Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel – my mother, my father, children, land, a home, all for his sake? What if I’m not good at it? Can I compromise with God? What if I fail?”
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My brothers and sisters in Christ, what happens to the rich young man? He chooses his possessions; the path of perceived security; he gives into his fear.
He “walks away sad.”
Sad because he missed out on the opportunity to do something great; to discover Jesus; to seize the opportunity to satisfy his deepest hunger.
Do the fears of the rich young man resonate with you? Have you ever been afraid of letting something or someone go for Jesus, trusting he will give even more in return?
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As we approach this altar, may we vote with our feet, leaving behind whatever holds us captive.
Take the leap of faith.
Allow God to show what the path he traces leads to: joy and peace, signs of eternal life to come.
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Image credits: (1) Home Alone (2) Adobe Stock (3) Christ Walking on Water, Julius von Klever
