Spirituality is not Religiosity.

(Saturday 7^th September 2019. Read Colossians 1:21-23, Psalm 54 and Luke 6:1-5)_

_“The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.” *(Luke 6:5)*_

Today’s Gospel passage teaches us a lesson: it is one thing to worship God in spirit but a different thing altogether to be religious. While religiosity has to do with external acts, spirituality is that which ordinarily motivates these external acts. In other words, it is possible to be religious yet completely unspiritual. This was the problem of the Scribes and Pharisees and this remains the problem with many of us who claim to be Christians today.

Outwardly, we profess the faith but deep down in our hearts, we do not even believe in God. The very same people who filled churches on Sunday were the same people who went about burning their fellow innocent humans alive just because they are foreigners. The same people who went to Church on Sunday made their way into Shoprite shops to loot and destroy assuming they were revenging not even knowing the actual owners of these franchises. The same people who profess faith in God and will argue about doctrinal matters in the Bible set aeroplanes ablaze. We can go on and on.

Thousands of years ago, the Prophet Isaiah made this submission: “Because these people draw near with their mouths and honour me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is a human commandment.” (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus himself quoted this very passage of Isaiah in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6. In truth, when the worship of God does not come from the heart, it becomes mere religion (human commandment as Isaiah puts it).

Only yesterday, we saw how the scribes and Pharisees questioned Jesus about his non-adherence to the rule of fasting. Today, Jesus and his disciples were passing through a grain field and out of hunger, they plucked and ate heads of grain. They did not pluck to sell, they plucked just to fill their empty stomachs. Nevertheless, for the scribes and Pharisees who were following them, this was another proof that Jesus was a sinner since he could afford to break the Sabbath rule. It was not as if these scribes and Pharisees cared so much about the law (they did worse things in secret), the followed Jesus at every step of the way because they were looking for something to use against Him for telling them the truth.

Dear friends, the fact that Jesus defended himself for what he and his disciples did proving beyond doubt that he was guiltless calls us to re-examine what we do as Christians. Are we worshipping God? Or could it just be that we are following human commandments? The litmus test would be to ask: What is the spirituality behind this action? Am I doing it because of what others would think about me? How does it make me closer to God?

Dear friends, it is not enough that we are religious, it is not enough that we follow the rule or observe the traditions of our faith, we must strive to be truly spiritual creatures. God is no so pleased with our external acts of worship as He is with our spiritual connection with Him. Jesus told the Samaritan worship that true worshippers will worship not on this mountain or on that mountain but in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24).

What kind of Christian am I? Do I allow the life of Christ to influence my daily choices? Do I try to ask what Christ would do if he were in my shows before taking any action? How do I treat my fellow human being who is not from my tribe or country? St. Paul says in today first reading: “You, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he (Jesus) has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in other to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before God.” (Colossians 1:21-22). What do I call myself if, despite my Christian faith, I remain hostile in my mind towards others?

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, we beg you, to intervene in the current crisis, teach us to love and not hate, teach us to forgive and not revenge, teach us to build and not destroy, teach us to give and not steal. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Colossians 1:21-23, Psalm 54 and Luke 6:1-5).