Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 125
Reading 1
Deuteronomy 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
Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5
R. (1a) The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
Reading 2
James 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 firstfruits 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.
Alleluia
James 1:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 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 honours 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 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Rejecting False Accusations
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. Mark 7:1–2
What a foolish thing for these Pharisees and scribes to be concerned about! They were in the presence of the Son of God, the Savior of the World, a man of perfect virtue and pure goodness, and all they could do was to observe that some of Jesus’ disciples failed to follow the scrupulous teaching on how they should wash their hands before a meal. The reason for this was their pride. These teachers of Israel had devised a large body of detailed, unwritten, human laws that they treated with the same binding force as the Law of Moses that they received from God. But the scribes’ and Pharisees’ human traditions were not from God; they were a body of regulations flowing from their own self-righteous need to act as interpreters of the Law. Therefore, whenever someone failed to follow the traditions the Pharisees and scribes taught as binding, they took it personally and reacted with judgment.
One lesson we can learn from these religious leaders is that we should never take things personally. Allowing ourselves to become personally offended at anything at all is, in fact, an act of our own pride. We do need to have sorrow for the sin we see, but that is different than allowing ourselves to become personally offended. For example, even if we were to teach the very Law of God and someone rejects that teaching, our response must be sorrow for them as we reject their error.
Jesus went on to respond to the Pharisees and scribes by quoting to them the Prophet Isaiah: “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” (See Isaiah 29:13). What’s interesting is that Jesus didn’t really engage them in conversation about this, defending Himself or His disciples in their eyes. Instead, He rebuked the Pharisees and scribes in a general way so as to dismiss their criticism as false, and then turned away from them and addressed the crowds.
We will all experience unjust condemnation at times. If we are in the wrong, then we must receive the condemnation as if it were from God and repent. But if the condemnation flows from someone’s wounded pride or error, then Jesus set the example on how we ought to respond. The best response is to reject their error and then refuse to become engaged in the conversation further. Too often when we are criticized unjustly, we also take it personally. We tend to fight back and justify ourselves, trying to prove that the other person is wrong. But when we do that, we are most likely acting out of our own wounded pride. This will result in angry sulking feelings and the experience of oppression that the evil one inflicts upon us. Jesus’ model is to reject the lie and then refuse to engage it further. The reason for this is that the unjust condemnation is actually the seed of the evil one. The person delivering it is only the instrument. So we rebuke the lie of the evil one and refuse to get into a personal battle with the person delivering the lie. Doing so brings freedom from oppression and allows our hearts to remain at peace, no matter what we endure.
Reflect, today, upon any ways that you have taken some conversation personally, allowing it to oppress you with anger, becoming defensive or argumentative. Know that whenever that happens, this is an attack from the evil one as he seeks to oppress you. Do not accept that abuse. The guide for each of us is the peace and joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. Even the greatest martyrs remained at peace and felt joy in the midst of their persecution. Reflect upon any ways that you have allowed the evil one to agitate you and leave you upset with your wounded pride. Do not fall into his trap. Hold on to the truth and remain at peace, and that will be all the defense you need to make.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
near and far
“Their heart is far from Me.” —Mark 7:6
I’m sitting ten feet from Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, very near to Him. “You, O Lord, are near” (Ps 119:151). In Old Testament times, the Lord said to Moses, “Come no nearer” (Ex 3:5). To draw near God was to risk death (see Ex 24:2; Nm 1:51). Yet even in pre-Christian days, God was drawing His people close. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him” (Ps 145:18). The psalmist could say: “To be near God is my good” (Ps 73:28).
Jesus came to earth and people could touch, see, and hear Him (1 Jn 1:1). He came to dwell among His people, to live among us (Jn 1:14). Yet even that proximity was not near enough for the Lord. He came even nearer to us in the Eucharist, to dwell within us (Jn 6:56; 17:23).
Perhaps we have grown accustomed to God’s nearness. We have a great need for the fear of the Lord (Is 11:2), so we can learn how to be close to the Lord without losing the awe of being in His presence. The prophet Isaiah warned: “This people draws near with words only and honors Me with their lips alone, though their hearts are far from Me” (Is 29:13; Mk 7:6).
Some may say that they feel God is far from them and does not care. However, if anyone has moved, it was not God (see Ps 139:7-10). Possibly those thoughts arise because the person has moved away from God. If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (Jas 4:8, RNAB). “Draw near to God” (Heb 7:19).
Prayer: Jesus, You came to call those near and far (Eph 2:17). Bring me near to You through Your blood (Eph 2:13). “Draw me!” (Sg 1:4)
Promise: “Hear the statutes and decrees...that you may live.” —Dt 4:1
Praise: Praise Jesus, “the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn 11:25)!
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The fruits and vegetables that we buy from the markets are known to be injected with hormones and chemicals, and consumers are advised to consume the same only after washing, peeling, and cooking! Ritual cleansing is observed in temples and mosques. Jesus, being a good law-abiding Jew, was not against such cleansing. But what Jesus emphasises more is spiritual and internal cleanliness. Jesus says categorically: “there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” It is imperative, therefore, that we not merely observe the rubrics of religion, because religion that is pure and undefiled is “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (Jas 1:27). Rather, we need to observe all the Laws in letter and spirit, as the First Reading from Deuteronomy invites us, not forgetting the “weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Mt 23:23).
Prayers
My persecuted Lord, You endured much criticism in life, but You never allowed it to steal Your peace. You remained perfectly strong, rejecting the lies and turning from them. Please give me the grace I need to always turn away from the lies of the evil one and to listen only to Your clear and gentle voice. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and make my heart like yours - on fire with love and holiness. Strengthen my will that I may always choose to love what is good and to reject what is evil.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 244: Working Until the End of the World
If you labour, day and night, spreading the works of God, this is good. Good fruit will come from your commitment to serve the Will of God and to spread His Divine Mercy. But we should also realise that God is able to use us to spread His Mercy until the end of the world. How? Only God knows. But He does desire to use you for this purpose. Some, like Saint Faustina, were used to set in motion devotion to Divine Mercy and that devotion will continue until Jesus returns. Others, and perhaps most of us, are called to contribute to the perpetual work of Mercy in various other ways. For example, one act of charity will bring about a good in another’s life that could change them in such a way that it will set in motion an eternal work of Mercy. Or consider your prayer for those entrusted with special responsibility such as praying for the Pope, bishops or priests. Or consider the fact that your holiness achieved here and now will be magnified in Heaven and will enable you to intercede for the Church for all time. Be diligent now in your work of spreading the Mercy of God but also be aware that this work must continue on into eternity. Focus on this as your goal and God will use your present labours in unimaginable ways throughout time (See Diary #1256).
When you think about the work that God has entrusted to you, do you see it as something that can have eternal consequences? Do you see yourself as a “link in a chain” by which God desires to strengthen the Church throughout time? Be open to this goal and allow the Lord to use you in ways you could never dream up yourself.
Lord, my life is Yours. I give myself to You for the purpose of spreading Your Mercy now and for eternity. Use me as You will, dear Lord. I offer myself as a willing instrument of Your Mercy in our world. Jesus, I trust in You.
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