Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr
Luke 11:37-41
Compassion is the best soap for the soul

In today’s Gospel, Jesus dines at the home of a Pharisee. His host is shocked that Jesus does not wash His hands according to the ceremonial law. For the Pharisees, every tiny detail of washing was prescribed—how much water, how it should flow, even the sequence of movements. To neglect any part was considered sinful. But Jesus points out the deeper truth: what matters is not the washing of hands, but the cleansing of the heart.

This moment invites us to reflect on three things.

First, hospitality. To invite someone to your table is to invite them into your life. Jesus accepted such invitations readily, and He was not afraid to be Himself—authentic, natural, transparent. We, too, are called to let others know us as we really are, without hiding behind masks or fear of judgment. True friendship and Christian community grow only when we share our lives honestly.

Second, inner cleanliness. Jesus reminds us that holiness is not about outward appearances, but about removing the stains of resentment, bitterness, or selfishness from our hearts. A person clean within is recognizable: gentle in speech, faithful in prayer, uninterested in power or gossip.

Third, real cleansing. Purity of heart is not achieved by rituals alone but by love in action. When we serve others, especially the poor, our hearts are purified. Spending time with the elderly, visiting the sick, or comforting those in pain not only brings them hope, it transforms us. Compassion is the best soap for the soul.

Let us remember: God does not look at our hands to see if they are ritually washed, but at our hearts to see if they are filled with mercy. To be clean before God is to love.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025