Tuesday - 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Luke 11:37-41

Tea and Sympathy

Dad’s Cup

 

Pardon me if I revisit an old and dear favorite!  With my sister Mary visiting this week, memories of our childhood and of Dad are flooding back.  Hence the reason for the pic of Dad’s cup. 

So this is your house-cleaning observation of the day.  Tea Stains Are The Worst!  I know this to be true from first-hand experience.  I’ve taken on a few more chores around the house these last 7 months, washing the dishes being one of them.  And trying to remove tea stains from the inside of a teacup is relentless and unending.  They never seem to go completely away.  It makes me glad I am a coffee guy; not to be judgmental but coffee mugs are easy to clean!  The outside of the teacup – no problem!  But the inside, ugh!  

Given today’s Gospel, it makes me wonder if Mary had Jesus do the dishes on a regular basis.  It also makes you wonder why people would keep inviting Him to dinner.  It reminds me of the insurance commercial where the aunt visits a home and proceeds to find a whole list of things wrong with the house. 

Jesus makes His point again with the Pharisees that they are so focused on outside appearances that they pay no attention to what is really important –what is inside their heart!  They get so upset when someone doesn’t wash their hands or remember to obey the laws for ritual washing.  But they completely ignore the interior motives for their actions.  It’s a good reminder to us that it’s not about doing good just for show!  It’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons.  It’s not enough to look good on the outside; it’s about our intentions - our willingness to do good, to love others, and to act on that love with charitable acts.

Truth be told, our new home has given us a very efficient dishwasher, and, for whatever reason, it does wonders on teacups!  And even though I am a die-hard coffee drinker, I still make myself a nice cup of hot tea in the autumn afternoon.  And yes, it is always with Dad’s teacup!  Tea stains still appear and these days they are much easier to manage.  But it still takes constant time and effort to keep the stains (sins of selfishness and greed) at bay!

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