13/10/2025
October 14, 2025
Homily:
Gospel: Luke 11:37–41
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today’s Gospel takes us to a meal — a familiar human moment — yet it becomes a place of divine revelation. Jesus has been invited by a Pharisee to dine with him, but soon we discover that it is not only the Pharisee who gives an invitation. Jesus Himself also extends one — an invitation to conversion of heart.
So, we might ask: Whose invitation are we really responding to? The Pharisee’s, or Jesus’?
1. The Pharisee’s invitation — a meal of appearances
The Pharisee’s invitation was perhaps sincere, but also curious and cautious. He wanted to see this teacher, this prophet, maybe even to test Him. When Jesus sat down without performing the ritual washing, the Pharisee was shocked. In his eyes, Jesus broke the rule of purity.
For the Pharisee, purity was about what is seen — clean hands, proper rituals, outward respectability. His invitation was to a table of formality, a table where reputation and ritual mattered more than relationship.
2. Jesus’ invitation — a meal of the heart
But Jesus, as always, turns the moment around. Without rejecting the meal, He transforms it into an invitation of His own — an invitation to look deeper. He says: “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. Foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?”
Jesus is inviting the Pharisee — and each of us — to dine at a different kind of table: the table of truth, the table of interior renewal, the table where purity means honesty, humility, and love.
3. Meals or purity?
The question, then, is not just about washing hands, but about washing hearts. What matters most to God is not external cleanliness, but internal holiness. True religion is not ritual perfection but compassionate living.
As the Prophet Isaiah once said, “Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed.” (Is 1:16–17) That is the washing that pleases God.
4. The true way to be clean
Jesus concludes with a surprising key:
“Give alms from what you have, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
He points to charity as the truest form of purity. Generosity cleanses the heart because it empties us of selfishness. When we give, we imitate God — who gives Himself freely.
A hand that feeds the poor is far purer than one that only performs ritual washing. A heart that forgives is far holier than one that simply avoids defilement.
5. Which invitation do we accept today?
Each day, God places before us both invitations:
The Pharisee’s invitation — to keep up appearances, to remain comfortable, to protect our image.
And Jesus’ invitation — to open our hearts, to be honest before God, to let love and mercy cleanse us from within.
The Eucharist we celebrate is precisely this second invitation. Jesus invites us to His table — not because we are perfect, but because He desires to purify us with His mercy and nourish us with His love.
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, Let us choose today to accept the invitation of Jesus — the one that transforms our hearts and renews our lives. Let every meal, every encounter, every act of kindness become an opportunity to be cleansed within.
For in the end, the true question is not “Did I keep myself pure?” but “Did I love from a pure heart?”
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt 5:8)
Fr. Devin IVDei
