Start From the Core

First Reading: Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

                                   

Moses said to the people: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?"

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

Second Reading: Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Dearest brothers and sisters: All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Gospel: Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. --For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. -- So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"

He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." He summoned the crowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile. "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."

Reflection

By Cris Balla

In today's world of SARS and H1N1, and a modern society incessantly inundated with the importance of hygienic living, it appears counter-intuitive that Jesus did not rebuke his disciples for not washing their hands before eating.

So why not? I think the issue is not about hygiene. After all, just a simple gesture of Jesus could cure common dysentery or amoebiasis.

Hence, Jesus drew attention on what really makes us unclean - the evil that emanates from our core. He was not distracted, did not lift a finger on the petty. He wanted our attention drawn instead to understanding that "All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean."

Instead, he rebuked the Pharisees with a passage from Isaiah.

That must have been dumbfounding for the Pharisees. They are the keeper of traditions! They are probably just doing their job (and not to mention, the apparent fault-finding to discredit Jesus so that they can keep their job of pretending to have higher sanctity).

Today, we see in us many of the same Pharisaic attitudes. We don't have to venture far to realize this; we just look at ourselves, listen to ourselves to discover the “garbage” coming out of our hearts.

So, if there's garbage coming from within me, what then can I do to prevent this? The solution is simple; the prescription from the reading from Deuteronomy is "You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of Yahweh your God just as I lay them down for you."

Simple solution. Just keep the Commandments.

What? How? That's not so simple to do! Yes, really not easy. If it were, then all of us would have halos over our heads, and every dead would be canonized.

But not easy is no excuse for not trying. Yes, we are only human; we can only do so much... So better get started.

Prayer

Father, forgive us for all our sins. Clean us deep within and allow us to enjoy Your abundant blessings of love, peace and mercy. Amen.