Devotion
Before the discovery of handwashing with soap, hospitals were often places where diseases spread, instead of being cured. Doctors would go from patient to patient with dirty hands, full of bacteria and germs, and accidentally infect those they sought to cure. Human life expectancy rose rapidly after the discovery of sanitary health practices. Only by being clean, can we avoid disease.
The earlier one can bring one's children or grandchildren into the faith, the better. For this is much like washing one's spiritual hands. Our children suffer from sin as much as we do, but without the correct sanitation, those sins may accumulate and become contagious.
Prayer
We know that a spiritual life can be difficult, arduous, fraught with set backs and doubts. Yet many of us carry on not only because it is the true path but because we know Scripture, we know passages we may read or reread for comfort, we are saved. The Gospel cleans us of sin and boosts our spiritual immune system.
Not only this, we have songs, practical knowledge, references we could all impart to our children to guide them to a moral and fulfilling life. Wouldn't you want your child to have these for his or her journey? Couldn't we help raise them to new heights as we have done, having learned from the mistakes and wisdom of our elders?
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.