Homily: March 14, 2023, Tuesday of the Third week in Ordinary time.

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 In the first reading we heard “But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received”.

And our Gospel text today ends with these words “unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart”.

It is very clear what God wants of us in our relationship with Him and in our relationship with one another. It is all about the heart. Worship God with a contrite heart, forgiving brother from our heart.

So being a disciple of Christ is an inside job.

From times of old, beginning with the Israelites, the tradition of pleasing God with burnt offerings, sacrifices, incense, first fruits and so on continues to our time. Our liturgy expresses our worship in similar rituals.

And in this Lenten season, we are also encouraged to make sacrifices, fast, pray and give alms.

All these are good and helpful in cultivating a spiritual discipline of self-denial and putting God in the focus, but if we do it without a sincere, contrite heart, would it really please God?

Our God is a God who looks into our hearts. He sees what is truly inside, He sees our intentions and motivations. He sees our yearnings and desires. He sees what we try to hide. He sees and He loves, He yearns for our hearts to soften and convert to become like His. Full of love, full of mercy, full of joy.

Past Sunday we sang in the responsorial psalm “if today you hear the voice of God, harden not your hearts”.

May this season of lent be a time for true conversion of our hearts. Overcome with contrition, may we yearn to be forgiven the debts of our sins. Overcome with love, may we forgive others for the hurts of their offenses.

St. Therese of Lisieux said, “The goodness of the heart of man mirrors the goodness of the heart of God.”

May we walk closer to our Lord and our hearts be more like His. Amen.

Fr. Nivin Scaria 

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