DIVINE WHISPER with Fr. PiusRalph EFFIONG, SMMM

WEDNESDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR 

Celebration: St. Teresa of Jesus (St Teresa of Avila), Virgin and Doctor of the Church
(1515-1582). Born in Avila (Spain). She was a Carmelite who reformed the Order with the help of  St. John of the Cross. Although she suffered many hardships, she was faithful to the Church in the spirit of the Council of Trent . she contributed to the renewal of the entire ecclesiastical community and wrote outstanding works of asceticism and mysticism. Her spiritual teachings are a guide to a life of union with God. She was declared Doctor of the Church in 1917. 

Table of the Word 

First Reading: Romans 2:1–11

Gospel: Luke 11:42–46

Theme: Judge NOT...

Reflection

Today, we are in an era where we give out judgement at will as the Scribes and Pharisees did. We often aim at the dust in others' eyes without acknowledging the plank in ours. We feel comfortable getting the outer part of us clean while the inner within us cry for conversion. Thus, we become "painted Sepulchre" or Akebe Okpo ayie mbana" as the Ibibios say, which coonotes the "emptiness of the beauty of the coffin."

On this note that the Mother Church on this great memorial of St. Theresa of Little Child Jesus presents before us wonderful lessons drawn from: Romans 2:1–11 and Luke 11:42–46. Here the first reading presents St. Paul's exhortation addressing self-righteous: “You, who judge another, do you not condemn yourself? For you, the judge, practice the very same things.” His message is both sobering and liberating stressing that God’s judgment is not based on appearances or privileges but on truth and justice. There is no partiality with God. All are called to repentance, for divine mercy is not a reward for perfection but a gift for the contrite heart.

In the Gospel pericope, Jesus continues His confrontation with the Pharisees and lawyers, who observed religious rituals but neglected “justice and the love of God.” He exposes the emptiness of outward piety divorced from inner conversion. Faith, He insists, must flow from within (the heart), from the interior life where love, humility, and truth reside.

Also, as we all gather ro celebrate the memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus (St. Teresa of Ávila) whose piety shines with profound relevance. This 16th-century Carmelite reformer and mystic reminds us that true transformation begins within. In her classic, The Interior Castle, she likens the soul to a beautiful dwelling where God resides in the innermost chamber. Yet, to reach Him, one must journey through purification, humility, and prayer.

St. Teresa teaches that holiness is not found in many devotions but in “a determined determination” to belong wholly to God. Her life exemplifies what Jesus means by cleansing “the inside of the cup” (Luke 11:39). The path of prayer and contemplation she charted remains, as Pope Francis noted, “a sure guide for those who seek the God who dwells within.”

However, the Church, through her teaching, emphasizes that interior life and action must go together. As the Catechism (no. CCC 2697) states: “Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment.”

Thus, authentic faith is not a mere observance but a living relationship with God, one that transforms our hearts and radiates in our deeds.

Beloved in Christ, let us seek God within. Make time for silence and contemplative prayer; the Lord speaks most clearly in the stillness of the soul. Let us live out justice and love. Let our faith express itself in mercy, fairness, and sincere charity toward others, and look at others with eyes of mercy as we wish God to look at us. 

Finally, let us embrace the humility of St. Teresa who teaches, humility to be the foundation of prayer and the key to entering the “inner castle.”

+ Peace be with you. 

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