we are defined ultimately by what is in our hearts

Luke 11:37-41
37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and  wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.

Reflection

Be clean.
We always wanted to be better. you see, all of us wanted to be clean in life. We know for a fact that there are many things that makes us unclean. Many of our actions had led us into sin. Jesus in our gospel today shows us that He is not concerned of the outside but what is inside us.

today, we are asked by the Lord to allow our hearts to touch other people's lives. what matters in the end is what is inside us.

 as we receive the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, may we have a heart ready to accept him. He alone can answer our thirst. He alone can make us whole again.


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Sometimes, laws can lead us into hardness of heart. We see law as the main ingredient to all certainty. The Gospel presents to us and reminds us that what matters most is to let our hearts become real and effective. God is not so concerned about how we dress or look. He looks rather on what is in our hearts.

Today, may we be reminded again to be more loving and compassionate to others. God wants us today to search others hearts. God wants us today to us our hearts.



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For us, it is very easy to perceive and recognize what our eyes see, what our ears hear. But God sees what is hidden from us. God sees what is in our hearts. and he is most concerned about that.



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IN all our actions, may we always have the benefit of the doubt. it is not what we see that we can get. sometimes, our senses can fail and deceive us. may we see the goodness of others rather than focusing on the weakness and failures of others.


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there is a saying that we are defined according to our actions. but i rather say, we are defined ultimately by what is in our hearts.

My Daily Reading and Reflection: Luke 11:29-32

Signs are what we always look for in life. signs are measures and gauges in our thoughts, words and deeds. what we miss oftentimes in life is the true signs that makes life work. In the old testament, the Ninevites repented just by listening to the words of Jonah. Jonah prophesied the destruction of Ninevites if they fail to repent. interestingly, the scripture tells us they repented from their old ways. in the Gospel, the queen of Sheba also came to see the wisdom of solomon. and jesus used these stories to make a clear truth to the Pharisees that he is more than Jonah and the queen of Sheba. but the Pharisees were stiffed-neck. they never believed the words of Jesus; they never believed Him as the true living sign.

In our life, we are already given the sign. from our baptism, we were marked as children of God. In confirmation, that sign was strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And in the Eucharist, we share in the living sign of God. what more do we seek? what sign do we need?

Jesus is the source of all truths. He alone can lead us to where our life tread. he alone is the ultimate desire of our hearts. he is the heartbeat of our heart. he is the song in our ears. he is the true sign that we hoped for, the sign for a better life.

Let God guide you today. Let his word overpower you. Let the Spirit move you. Let Jesus help you that you may also be a sign for others to live.