Purity of Heart
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Reading (Deuteronomy 6: 4-9)
Hear, O people! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.Keep in your heart these words that I am commanding you today. Recite them to your children. Speak of them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Song (Psalm 24)
Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
Who are not devoted to idols,
Who have not sworn falsely.They will receive blessings from the Lord,
And justice from their saving God.
Such are the people who love the Lord,
Who seek the face of God.
Reflection
The pure of heart are those who give their love entirely to God, who make God the center of their life, and who devote themselves singlemindedly to doing his will. Because they love God with all their heart, their every thought, word, and deed begins and ends with him.The pure of heart cannot be found on earth, but only in heaven. We live in this world with our hearts divided. We are bound to the things of this world, yet we long for heaven. As we journey through life, we must purify our heart by removing one by one the things that weigh us down and hinder us as we make our way home to God.
Yet we do not purify ourselves by becoming empty, but by becoming full. Purity of heart is not sterility of heart. We become pure not by withholding our love but by giving it. Love is like nothing else in this world: if we hold onto it, it disappears; if we give it away, it becomes abundant.
Prayer
God our Father, we accept with joy your commandment to love you with all our heart. Pour forth your Spirit into our hearts and fill us with the purifying power of your love. May we share your love with everyone we encounter, so that your love may be abundant in this world as it is in heaven.