August 30, 2015
22nd Sunday
in Ordinary Time
1st Reading:
Dt 4:1-2, 6-8
2nd Reading: Jas 1:17-18, 21-22, 27
Gospel: Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem.
They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors. Nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.
So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?”
Jesus answered, “You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.”
Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean.
For evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Gospel reading exposes how stupid the Jewish tradition about washing was. Their ancestors had handed down the tradition of never eating without first washing their hands. There were many other traditions they observed, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.
As self-proclaimed arbiters of peoples’ religiosity, the Pharisees were harsh in exacting observance of these traditions from the people. Jesus said, “Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean.” Jesus had to say this in order to shift the focus of the Jews from meticulous observance of rituals to the eradication of vices that make people unclean. He said, “For evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly.”
The call of today’s Gospel reading is deeper spirituality. — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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