Riding Dirty (Literally and Figuratively)

I spent some time with my niece and nephew the other day.  We hung out in front of their house, and they mainly played in the dirt.  The five-year-old pretended to be a ninja and dug holes in the yard with sticks.  In the beginning, the 17-month-old would grab a handful of dirt and put the little pile directly on my jeans.  I asked her not to since I was planning on going right from their house to church.  She dropped the next few handfuls on the ground.  I thought I'd gotten through to her until she unzipped my coat, unzipped my red fleece, and deposited the next clump directly onto my turtleneck.  What a little skunk!

I found myself brushing off dirt, picking it out of my clothing and attempting, as best I could, to keep it out of my hair and face.  It occurred to me a little while later that I should have been significantly more uncomfortable that I had dirt on my soul than on my clothing.  I hadn't been to confession in over a month, but there I was bothered more that I had dirt all over my jacket, shirt, and jeans than I was that I had sins on my heart.  I wondered, "what will people think?" when I should be more concerned with "what will God think?"

After playing outside with them and going for a walk, I headed to St. Peter's for Reconciliation and 12:05 Mass.  I didn't have time to take a shower before going, but at least I was spiritually clean before I did the rest of my errands. 

For Reflection: When was the last time you went to Reconciliation?  Do you tend to be more concerned about your outward appearance than the state of your soul?

My Prayer: Lord, help us to place greater emphasis on being spiritually clean, healthy, and whole than we do on our physical appearance. Amen.