22nd Sunday in ordinary time 2021

INTRO: Sometimes the end of summer has our school children “shopping” for new clothes, whether online or in person shopping!

So, did they BUY the right things????

Are they wearing the right shoes?
The smartest footwear in the coolest colors?

Is their hairstyle…. The RIGHT way?

Are we, whether in church or livestreaming, in the RIGHT colors?

CLOTHES
STYLES
LABELS each can be important to many of us.

Some of us even think these labels and styles MARK our identity, so we adopt these “identity markers” …. Visible practices of dress that distinguishes us as “IN”!

And nobody wants to be considered “OUT”!

We all want to be part of the current scene.

And ………. As I see it …….
The one group in today’s Gospel “cherishes” the markers that identified them as part of their community …. They were considered IN by the washing their hands, purifying themselves, cups, jugs, and beds!

That is not necessarily a bad thing, but,
JESUS teaches us that there are better markers that identify us as the people of God, that is far from the external things that we do and more concretely what we do internally!

These would be MARKERS that many of us already OWN and USE! ………….
OUR EYES!

EYES are the windows to the soul and to the HEART.

OUR EYES identify us, mark us, and reveals our interior goodness.

Eyes that look into the eyes of another, despite color, race creed, with kindness, honesty, and compassion…
The eyes that give respects for all human beings and draws them into our circle of friends, that doesn’t bully or show
anger.
The kind of eyes that forgives our spouse, our loved ones, our neighbors.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus teaches us about these BETTER INTERIOR MARKERS (our eyes) that identify us as a PEOPLE PECULIARLY HIS OWN….

…………And how does He know these are the better markers….??? ………

Because that’s what God His Father does to each of us.

GOD looks with His eyes at each of us with love and compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and acceptance.

Let us all do the same.