Wednesday October 16, 2024

Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said to the Pharisees: ‘Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!

Imagine telling the Pharisees that they are unclean and thus make anyone they come into contact unclean. These are some harsh words from our Lord. Words which we can cheer on or words that would bring us to a closer walk with Jesus.

Recently while on retreat I learned about my childhood trauma that somehow contributes to how I receive and view things today. I went through enough childhood trauma to fill the pages of the L ‘Osservatore Romano. I could not stand the thought that despite my best efforts, I too will create trauma for my son. None of us escapes childhood and even adulthood with a brush with trauma.

The question is are we blind to our own trauma and thus project unbelievable pain to others. Some of these Pharisees were good people who just needed guidance to sort their issues out. In this space we journey inwards and do some fixing so we can better change. Let me know if you wanna go on this such retreat next year.