"I also heard a voice say to me, 'Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat.' But I said, 'Certainly not, sir, because nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'" Acts 11:7-8
In today's first reading, Peter is taught that under Jesus' New Covenant, foods that once were unclean are now allowed to be eaten. This is a huge blessing for those of us who love bacon! But we make a mistake if we think the purity/impurity dynamic has been completely abolished. The Lord still wants us to be pure. It's just that He's more concerned about purity of heart than greasy foods.
As a child, I managed to shock myself while fiddling with an electrical outlet, despite my parent's warnings. I still remember the sting, yet just as pain can be a good thing – a warning not to continue on a course that will do the body harm – likewise feeling guilt can guide us back in the right direction when we fail to keep our hearts pure. Purity can be difficult to maintain – just as difficult as I qm sure it was to abstain from bacon – but when we fall, a healthy sense of guilt tells us that it's time to change our course, and to get to confession! We might not like pain or guilty feelings, but these too can be gifts from the Lord.
Do we give thanks, even for God's unpopular gifts?
Lord, give us the blessing of always turning back to You when we stray.
Reflection by:
Deacon Donald Amodeo
Did you know...
Deacon Donald Amodeo is a seminarian for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Author of the afterlife adventure "Dead & Godless," Don is an avid reader and a fan of apologetics, coffee and cast-iron skillets. His home parish is St. Mary Catholic Church in Tampa.
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