Jesus calls us to a complete and total change of heart — metanoia

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings for Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

+ It’s infectious! All of it! Evil is infectious! Laziness is infectious! Meanness is infectious!

+ But so is goodness, truth, love, kindness, creativity, well-being, renewal, energizing work; and so much positive activity that especially flows out of a good and healthy relationship with one another, with self, and with God.

+ Joel prophetically calls the people back to a good relationship with self, and with one another and with God.

Joel promises that their God is a God of goodness and love and productivity. Wholeness is holiness, and it begets more of the same!

+ Jesus confronts the demonic and godless ways that so infectiously lead to more and more and more of the same.

And Jesus warns that a “superficial cleansing of the house” will not be sufficient; the demons will only return strengthened, encouraged and more demonic than ever before.

No. In Joel-like fashion, and in the spirit of all of the prophets (even lazy or uncommitted prophets like Jonah whose story we listened to all of this week), Jesus calls all back to God back to truth, back to wholeness and holiness, and back to a good relationship with self, others and God.

Jesus doesn’t “clean house “ or “put the house back in order.”

Jesus calls all to metanoia,  a complete and total change of heart where God becomes central and the lifegiving force for all “in the house.”

+ “I will draw all to myself,” says the Lord!

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.