Catherine Doherty, was a Russian-born Catholic activist who founded the Madonna House Apostolate in 1947. She was a pioneer in the struggle for interracial justice, a spiritual writer, lecturer, and spiritual mother to priests and laity. One of her many writings contained the words, “Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves...What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment's hesitation."
We call this deep spiritual mining as ‘seeing with the eyes of the heart.’ Or as the writer to the Ephesians puts it,”Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance.” (The Voice Version)
Jesus in Matthew illustrates the danger of not paying attention to inner motives when he says, “How terrible …… You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of violence and pleasure seeking. First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside of the cup will be clean too.”
Interestingly the only people Jesus denounces in the Gospel are the Pharisees and their like. He accuses them of not understanding God because they don’t see the importance of the fundamentals of justice, mercy and faith.
So often it takes one person to see and to state what is going wrong and to reset the priorities. Jesus does this again and again in his dealings with “sinners”: people whose behaviour runs contrary to the Jewish Law. He heals and he forgives sins, where as Pharisees and others rush to condemn and even destroy.
Lord, create in me a clean heart. Life is so complicated, busy and chaotic. But amid the mess, please give me the strength and courage to see people, places, things and events through Your lens. Please guide me and change me, oh God. Please give me Your heart for others and the world around me. Each and every day, help me to see, through Your eyes, the truth of what is, what has been and what will one day come. In the name of Your son Jesus I pray, Amen.