The Lord said to him, “Oh, you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.”
(Luke 11:39)
The Pharisees, Lord, had ritualized the laws into external practices that no longer reflected their purpose. Everything was for show. We used to call it “putting on the dog.”
You who are with us when no one else is looking, who know us when we do not know ourselves, help us to seek only your approval. Show us how to cleanse our souls by giving and forgiving.
Let me examine my faults, not wallowing in them, but trusting in your mercy to heal and convert me.