Daily Reflection, August 25, 2026

Reflection:

Jesus’ excoriation and heated verbal condemnation of the Pharisees: hypocritical scrubbing ‘the outside of the cup while leaving the inside unclean.’ But it’s not something we aren’t familiar with.  Nor will it be something we need worry about experiencing. Jesus’ bark is often worse than his bite.  We know that Christ already knows us inside out. He is fully aware of our double standards, our hidden motives, our cover-ups and all.  And, of course, this doesn’t give us Carte Blanche to do what we like.  Not if we want to know any peace of mind, or any sense of fulfilment.

The real danger is when we do not know—or do not want to know, what’s really in our hearts. If we want to live with any degree of contentment, then we need to take time to be honest with ourselves, and what drives us to do the things we do. It takes courage, of courage it does.  But we’ll find the things we keep hidden and hope others never see; usually, people already know, and don’t really care.  Or the things we MUST have to fill up the empty hole inside, never, in fact, fill it up. They just get swallowed up, and we hunger for more.

And we don’t have to succeed; we only have to try!  On any given day, a Personal Best result is enough.  And if we miss even that, it doesn’t matter we can try again tomorrow.

Tom McDonough CP is the parish priest and community leader at St. Paul of the Cross, Glen Osmond.