That Which Defiles

FEBRUARY 08, 2022, TUESDAY

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (White)

Optional Memorial of Saint Jerome Emiliani, Priest (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 330

Reading I

1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30

Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD

in the presence of the whole community of Israel,

and stretching forth his hands toward heaven,

he said, “LORD, God of Israel,

there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below;

you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants

who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

“Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth?

If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you,

how much less this temple which I have built! 

Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God,

and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant,

utter before you this day.

May your eyes watch night and day over this temple,

the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;

may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.

Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel

which they offer in this place.

Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”

Responsorial Psalm

84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11

R.        (2)  How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines 

            for the courts of the LORD.

My heart and my flesh

            cry out for the living God. 

R.        How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,

             and the swallow a nest

             in which she puts her young—

Your altars, O LORD of hosts,

            my king and my God!

R.        How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!

            continually they praise you.

O God, behold our shield,

            and look upon the face of your anointed.

R.        How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts

            than a thousand elsewhere;

I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God

            than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R.        How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia

Ps 119:36, 29b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;

and favor me with your law.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 recognise 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.