1 Cor 3:1-9 / Luke 4:38-44
Generally we can tell the difference between cooked food and uncooked food, and the difference is usually quite obvious.
Even if it is pre-cooked and ready-to-eat type of food, we would certainly heat it up if we feel that it is better to do so.
So just by looking at and examining the food, we will know the difference. In a similar way, just by looking at and observing people we can generally tell the spiritual state of a person.
And in the 1st reading, St. Paul was rather blunt in saying what he saw and observed about the Christian community at Corinth.
He concluded that they were sensual and un-spiritual people, because it was so obvious to him that there was jealousy and wrangling and forming cliques to favour one over another.
Yet in the gospel, it was also obvious what people saw in Jesus. They brought the sick and those tormented by evil to Jesus for Him to lay His hands on them and He cured them and delivered them from evil oppression.
The people saw in Jesus a spiritual person who had the power to cure and heal and deliver people from sickness and spiritual afflictions.
Yet at the same time, the people obviously didn't see the true identity of Jesus. They went in search for Him early the next day and they wanted to prevent Him from leaving them.
Obviously they were possessive and selfish and may even had ulterior motives about Jesus.
So, regardless of whether people know we are Catholics or not, they will certainly know our spiritual state just by looking at us and observing us.
So as Catholics, do we know what we are supposed to do? Jesus knew what He was supposed to do. And from what He did, people knew what kind of person He was.
May we continue to do what Jesus came to do and be like Jesus in all we do.