September 2 // Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 
Responsorial Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5
Reading II: James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges some of his fellow Jews, who are putting too much emphasis on ritual cleanliness and similar actions, while ignoring their true thoughts and feelings.  He calls them hypocrites and quotes the prophet Isaiah:

“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  

Jesus’ challenge is for us as well.  We may do everything correctly, we may appear to be good, law abiding people.  We may, as Catholics, go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days; we may join a prayer group; and we may even help people in need of our assistance.  None of these are bad things, but if our minds and hearts are full of anger and hate, what does that say about our outward actions? 

Of course, few if any of us are entirely free of negative feelings and attitudes towards our fellow human beings.  But we know that God loves us and will change our minds and hearts, if we accept it.  

There is so much hate and fear in the world today.  The recent bombings in Yemen are a terrible example.  Could any of us kill children if we allowed God’s love into our lives?  
Let us not forget these words of our Lord, as he spoke to the crowd after responding to the objections of the scribes and Pharisees:

“Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

~Sheryl Zabel