It is 29th August 2021. We celebrate the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
We are invited to reflect on Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; and the Gospel of Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23.
What type of religion do we belong? How do we worship God with head, or lips or by heart?
Truth evades the perception but resides in reception with openness.
An article from National Catholic Reporter by Joan Chittister shared a story. Once upon a time, a seeker went from land to land to discover an authentic religion. Finally, the seeker found a group of extraordinary fame and popularity. They were known for the goodness of their lives and for the single-hearted service to the Lord and for the sincerity of their service. Seeing such a religion, the seeker said: “I see everything you do, and I’m so impressed by it. But, before I become your disciple, I have a question to ask: Does your God work miracles?” replying to the seeker, the disciples said, “Well it all depends on what you mean by a miracle. Some people call it a miracle when God does the will of people. We call it a miracle when people do the will of God.”
When we go by the flow, we are pulled and petrified by the current. However, we learn to go against the flow, we become internally strong, sensitive, and serene in all we speak, and do.
G.K. Chesterton remarked: “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead.”
St. James urges us all: “be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”
Moses convinces people, “Listening to God’s word brings life and wisdom. When the Israelites felt that it was enough to follow God’s commands on the outside, Jesus taught them to be obedient to God’s commands on the outside, but also to obey His commands on the inside.
In today’s second reading, Apostle James says that the power to purify our hearts and minds lies in the help we give to suffering orphans, widows, and the poor.
Obeying God’s commandments, especially the Ten Commandments not enough to glorify God. Instead of glorifying God by reforming, refining, and sanctifying the relationship between God and man, man and man, the Pharisees were mindful of washing their hands and feet, eclipses, and plates and purifying themselves.
Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist was asked a question by a reporter as a Nobel laureate, “When did civilization begin?” The reporter expected her to answer that when something like fishing, sculpting, and building began.” But, quite contrary to what the reporter expected, she responded: “Civilization began when a man helped a man in danger and pain. There is no restraint or healing for the wound. It is the man who helps another man when he is beaten; he binds up his wound and heals him. So, civilization began when people realised the urgency to extend a helping hand towards a fellow human being.”
The Responsorial Psalm poses a question and answers the expected thing to be near God. Today’s Gospel answers that question. God loves those who are beautiful inside.
Emphasizing external cleanliness, they left out intentionally internal cleanliness. Therefore, in today’s gospel Christ condemns the attitude of the Pharisees and emphasizes inner purity.
As we are in the church today, our life would be dominated either by head-service, or lip-service or heart service. The readings of the day to take us closer to the heart of the religion is to be in touch with the heart of humanity. Love of God and our neighbour are more important than giving unbalanced importance to our culture and traditions. This leads us to fundamentalism that gives us the permission to hate and ill-treat the other person in their way of worship, lifestyle, and relationships. We end up giving importance to mere washing hands, and cleanliness of outside forgetting what is going on inside. As Jesus rightly points out, “For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:22,23).
This is what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart. Jesus said to love your neighbour as yourself (Jn. 6: Matt. 2: 37-39). He points out that the law and the Lord are the basis of these two commandments. The Pharisees, who washed their hands, feet, and dishes, were obsessed with outside cleanliness. But forgot the inner purity. That is why today Jesus condemns the outward appearance of the Pharisees. To what extent does a mosquito filter swallow a camel,
The situation of the Pharisees was like ours too. They let God’s command fly in the air and embrace human traditions. So, Jesus said, “You have forsaken the commandment of God, and followed the traditions of men” (Mark 7: 8). Your disciples do not follow ancestral traditions. They eat with unclean hands (Mark 7: 5). Jesus gives a clear answer to them by reminding them that they were giving importance to tradition and got enslaved to false traditions (Mark 7: 6-7) without following God’s commandments of justice, righteousness, justice, truth, goodness, and love.
When we fail to recognize the presence of God in us and others especially in the community we belong, we begin to question our presence and participation as a waste of time. We boast about what we have than what we are.
A man asked God to show a person who loves God as a priority. God told him to go and meet a poor farmer in his village. So, he met him and asked him what does to please God so much even God is so impressed by him. “I say His name in the morning. I work all day and say His name before going to sleep. That’s all,” the farmer replied. The man thought that he found the wrong person. Once again God appeared to him and said: “Fill a bowl with milk and go to town and then return. You must do this without spilling a single drop.” The man did so. On his return, the Lord wanted to know how many times he had thought of Him. “How could I? I was worried not to spill the milk!” The Lord told him: “A simple bowl made you forget me and the farmer with all his tasks, thinks of me twice a day.”
Jesus was not impressed by the belief of the Pharisees. He reminded them as He reminds us today that God’s commandment takes precedence over the traditions and cultures, we are so dearly we fight tooth and nail and sacrifice people. Traditions, laws, and culture are needed as a guide, guard not replacing God. Charity, integrity, mercy, sincerity, and honesty are much needed in everyone’s life.
Ceremonial washing was required only by the priests before they enter the sanctuary. By the time of Jesus, the ritual of handwashing before every meal and between each course was extended to every pious Jews. These unwritten laws were regarded as written law and binding. Jesus attacks their hypocrisy quoting Isaiah: “This person honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
For Jesus. Eating with unwashed hands and unapproved food are imaginary defilement. Uncleanness is a matter of the human heart not of the diet, dress, and doctrines. “Set your hearts first on the Kingdom of God,” is the call Jesus makes it towards us.
Let us begin living a religion of heart not of the head that is of wordy and lips that is of exaggeration.