That Which Defiles

February 09, 2021, Tuesday
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
RDGS: GN 1:20--2:4/ PS 8:4-5. 6-7. 8-9
GOSPEL: MK 7:1-13

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 went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus invites me to consider how I follow God in my heart and cautions me against being distracted by human traditions. I review my habits and patterns of activity, asking God to help me to recognize where they lead me to life.

PRAYER:

Lord, it is different for me. I do not have to face the hundreds of ritual regulations with which the scribes had burdened their religion. But I can still be caught by foolish scruples, which have nothing to do with love but come from a superstitious fear of regulations. Free my heart for joy and love.