The Church is going through a challenging time right now as she is being confronted with the atrocious acts of impurity and abuse on the part of some of her clergy members, including some in the highest positions of leadership. There is an urgent need of purification, purgation and penance that will reach deep down into the deepest interior regions of the Church’s leadership structure.  The Church cannot be a light to the world if her leaders are caught up in deeds of darkness.

   Growth in the spiritual life begins with a process of purification.  If we are to live in the presence of God and cooperate with his Spirit and grace then we must undergo a process of transformation in which we are purified from our imperfections.  Before we can get to the process of enlightenment we must first be cleansed from any impurities caused by sin.  This process of purification is an ongoing, lifelong process that happens in our life through the work of God’s grace upon us.  Just like our mothers always reminded us, before we can come to the table we have to wash up and go through a process of purification.  Moms don’t want us bringing our dirty hands to their dinner tables.  God also wants us to be cleansed before we come to the table of the Lord.

    In the gospel of Mark, chapter 7, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time are criticizing the disciples of Jesus for not undergoing ritual purifications before they eat.  Certainly they are correct in pointing out the need for purification.  Jesus doesn’t have any problems with purification laws but he does point out that we miss the point of true purification if our cleansing is only skin deep.  Washing our hands is a minimum requirement of purification but we are missing the point of purification if we are only concerned with the appearance of cleansing.  Jesus points out the prophetic words of Isaiah:  “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Mk 7,6f)

    The response of Jesus to the criticism of the religious leaders points out a problem that we often have in the spiritual life.  Too often we are only concerned with appearances.  We go through rituals for others to see and to give the appearance of purity.  Our real struggle with impurity comes from sin that we are harboring within our hearts.  A little dirt on our hands does not defile us as much as the dirt of sin that we are often carrying in our interior being.  We may look clean and pure from the outside but many times we are carrying impurity in our hearts through our attitudes and thoughts about others.

    True purification is an interior process of conversion.  We have to be cleansed of the interior dispositions that are not worthy of the children of God.  A good hand brush is not going to touch the interior impurity that we are carrying in our hearts. The real problem is the interior stains of sin that cling to us.  We need to concern ourselves with these interior impurities before we can make any progress in the spiritual life.  Jesus points us to the real problem in our spiritual journey in pointing out, “the things that come out from within are what defile.  From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mk 7,21ff)

    A deeper spiritual life requires deep conversion of our hearts.  The interior condition of our hearts needs to be our first concern.  If we do not have a pure heart then we will not have a suitable dwelling place for God in our lives.  These are the real problems that need to be addressed in our lives.  A quick wash of the hands is not going to touch these interior imperfections.  God sees our hearts and knows the condition of our interior being.  To purify our hearts and be free from these imperfections will give us the freedom to grow stronger in our spiritual relationship with God.  James points out to us:  “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin riches maturity it gives birth to death.” (James 1,14f)  There is no soap that will touch these interior impurities, only the cleansing power of God’s Word and Spirit can wash us clean from within.  As St. James recommends to us:  “Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.  Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” (James 1,21f)

    The crisis that the Church is facing is not going to be resolved by some minor, external adjustments.    Our leaders cannot just wash their hands of the impurities that have surfaced, deluding themselves.  There is a need for true accountability at the center, at the heart of the Church.  Leaders who have failed to live according to God’s Word need to admit their “evil thoughts, unchastity, blasphemy, arrogance and folly.”  There is a need for true purification, purgation and penance at the heart of the Church.  The Church has been defiled.  Only after a true cleansing of the heart will we be ready to live in the world as a light to all nations and “give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations.” (Dt 4,6)