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Dear brothers and sisters:

I remember when I was eighteen years old and a few weeks away from taking my first vows as a Discalced Carmelite friar. The details of the scene have faded with time, but the content of the words remain clear in my memory. I remember a religious man who told me before the ceremony: “Look, the greatest treasure in life is inner peace. Always keep it in mind. There will be times when you put a great deal of effort into doing things that will later go wrong; there will be others when you will receive criticism,  opinions of all kinds and you will be tempted to be overwhelmed by what others say. In those moments remember that what really matters is not what others may think of you but what is inside you: having a clear conscience, having done everything in your power. And always living in peace with God.”

In this social atmosphere in which we breathe today and which is so full of appearances, deception, self-seeking, and prejudices towards others, I remember those words that continue to guide me in this search for the inner peace that God offers us and which is more necessary today than ever.

On this Sunday, Jesus warns us of false and hollow attitudes and reminds us that God sees inside each person. Jesus invites us to open our eyes, lest we, and his followers, live more concerned with applause, appearances, and what others will say than with being humble, honest, and transparent.

God gives us his peace to those who do not seek anything for themselves, to those who are just as they are seen, without duplicity or complications; to those who act with a clean heart and generosity, even if what they have to offer is not very showy.

Today's gospel invites us to travel to the interior of ourselves. To enjoy that peace that only God can give us and that requires, to find it, personal times of silence and contemplation; people who accompany us and help us open our eyes to what is happening, to make a faithful reading of our own life; a good dose of inner strength, so as not to give in to criticism, and another perseverance, to persevere in our own convictions.

In this culture where we care so much about our image and we worry about looking good, Jesus reminds us that it is not in the applause of others where we will find Peace, but in the small details and in the insignificant good that we could do, like the one that was conceived in the heart of that widow, giving the little that she had with generosity and without anyone noticing. Happy Sunday! 

 

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