A Clean Heart

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Click Here for Readings)

Prophet of Ezekiel 18:30-32

Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

The proverb quote in the 1st reading from the Prophet of Ezekiel reads oddly but was quite significant in antiquity:  

“Fathers have eaten green grapes,

thus their children’s teeth are on edge.”  

In other words, if a father sinned the punishment for that sin carried over into his sons and daughters.  Same thing for a mother who sinned.  Therefore, whole families would be "tainted" by sins committed by ancestors years before!  Thank God this terrible (what I call) "sin passage through generations" isn't still true today.  Can you imagine if a father committed a crime and his son had to serve jail time?  Can you imagine a grandmother committing an act of adultery which meant her granddaughter was forced to wear a Scarlet "A"?  

Our individual sins often do affect our loved ones, coworkers, and significant others.  However, they are our sins and nobody else's.  We shouldn't play the blame game or expect others to carry around our sins  for us.  The Lord gave us free will to do what we want.  If we rob a bank, murder someone, or deal in drugs we are the ones who must accept the consequences.  Not our children, not our spouses, and not our ancestors.

Through belief in Christ, we have the option to renew our spirit and clean out our dirty hearts. Vacuum out the rage.  Scrub away the sensuality.  Sanitize out the resentment.  Wipe away the pride.  Our hearts were not created to store up a bunch of crud. They were designed to remain squeaky clean with love.  Our fallen nature makes this nearly impossible.  

Spring clean your heart!  If it's been a while, make a trip over to confession.  I promise that your heart will feel much better.  All of that sin really weighs it down over time.  Also, just spending some time in meditation and prayer helps, too.  Our hearts are meant to love!

-J.