GOSPEL REFLECTION, FRIDAY, 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, 17 OCTOBER 2025, ST IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, MEMORIAL

Luke 12:1-7.  Today’s gospel reading tells us that as huge crowds were assembling to hear Jesus were so numerous that they were stumbling over each other.  But Jesus’ words were now for the disciples alone before they met the crowds around them.  He told the disciples to be aware of the ‘yeast of the Pharisees,’ their hypocrisy.  Yeast in the Old Testament was a sign of impurity, even filth.  In his Letter to the Corinthians (5:7-8) Paul speaks of the ‘yeast of malice and evil.’  Here and in today’s gospel ‘yeast’ is a metaphor for sin.  Like yeast which expands and grows, so does sin unless we repent and change our hearts and minds.  Hypocrisy is the sin here – acting and appearing to be one thing while being another internally.  It is play-acting at religion, being fastidious about external behaviour, about ritual practice without conversion of our hearts within.  It can readily apply to those presenting themselves as Christians, as Catholics, without conversion of the inner self.  Jesus tells the  twelve disciples to be aware of this in the Pharisees as surely as he tells us to be aware of religious hypocrisy today.  Jesus tells the twelve to be fearless in their profession of faith, just as he counsels us to be courageous in our faith today – not only externally and publicly, but courageous to be converted – truly converted – in our inner selves.  At time it does indeed need courage and truthfulness to do so.  Beware the ‘yeast of malice and evil.’