Today we celebrate St. Callistus I, a Pope and Martyr whose life reflected the central tension in today's readings: the difference betwe...
Today we celebrate St. Callistus I, a Pope and Martyr whose life reflected the central tension in today's readings: the difference between external appearances and internal truth. Our three words are Justified, Judgment, and Joy.
St. Paul reminds us that the Gospel reveals the justice of God, and that we are Justified—made right with God—by faith, not by mere human effort. Yet, the Gospel reveals how easy it is to focus on the wrong kind of justice. Jesus rebukes the Pharisee, who was so focused on the outward washing of a cup, but neglected what was inside: "your inside is full of plunder and wickedness." He warns us against this external religion, where we care more about looking holy than being holy.
The call to interior purity leads to Judgment, not in the harsh sense, but in the sense of right discernment. Like the Pharisees, we can be quick to judge others, focusing on their visible flaws while ignoring the "plunder and wickedness" in our own hearts. St. Callistus I, as Pope, showed extraordinary mercy, even in the face of controversy, welcoming great sinners back to the Church. He understood that God's grace, and the Gospel's power, is not for the perfectly pure, but for those who acknowledge their need for interior purification.
When we allow the Gospel to transform our hearts, when we recognize that true worship isn't about rules but about love and mercy, we find Joy. St. Callistus’s life, despite its trials, was a joyful witness to God's boundless forgiveness. Let us, then, not worry about cleansing the outside, but offer God our hearts, giving alms—that is, giving of ourselves in love—to clean what is within, and thus find the peace and joy of those who are truly justified by faith. Amen.
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