Twenty-Third Monday in Ordinary Time

Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Pride can corrupt us from the inside out. It can spoil our good works and lead us deeper and deeper into sin. It can convince us we are better than others when in fact we are sinners just as much as anyone. This is why it’s so important to examine our consciences, make a good confession, and cleanse ourselves of our sins. The only way to be pure and holy is to rid ourselves of all our bad habits and imperfections and make ourselves more and more Christ-like. Then and only then, will we be ready to share in the Eucharistic feast in truth and sincerity.

Has pride wormed its way into our hearts? If so, then how can we rid ourselves of it? What do we need to do to cleanse ourselves of malice and wickedness and become sincerer and more truthful in our spiritual lives?

O Lord, clear our hearts of all that is evil and refresh our spirits.

Amen.