The Holy Prophet Obadiah (Abdias); the Holy Martyr Barlaam
Nativity Fast.
Read
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 11:34-41
I was recently speaking with a friend about morning bathroom routines and how long it takes to get ready, from showering, to shaving, to everything else that one needs to do to make their physical appearance presentable for the coming day. In addition to this, we can think about how much time and effort we put into choosing our clothes, cleaning them, or shopping for them. I’m sure we all spend a considerable amount of time making sure we look presentable to the world on a daily basis.
Now consider for a minute how much time we spend caring for our interior life in comparison to the time and effort we spend on the outside. How much time do we dedicate to daily prayer? Do we spend time every day doing an examination of conscience, thinking about the things we did and the things we failed to do? How often do we avail ourselves of the Mystery of Confession?
Our interior life cannot be neglected for the sake of exclusively focusing on our external appearance. If we are overly focused on the exterior to the detriment of the interior, then the words of our Lord to the Pharisees about worrying about the outside of the dish and not the inside are equally applicable to us.