From the responsorial psalm: “Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)
Jesus 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.”
Clinging to human tradition, we disregard God’s commandment. Mark shows us how Jesus responds to the Pharisees and scribes, who criticize the disciples for not washing their hands before a meal. “Unclean,” is their contention. Mark goes on to tell us how all Jews carefully wash their hands to keep with tradition, along with many other traditional practices of keeping clean. Addressing defilement, Jesus emphasizes the importance of inner purity over external rituals. “Hear me, all of you, and understand,” Jesus says to the crowd. “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” Saint James puts it this way: “to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world” is the way to remain pure and undefiled before God.
God, help me discern where empty ritual is and dispense with it. External, observable practices can become a trap under the guise of reverence for tradition rather than participation in the Body of Christ. In the real presence of the Eucharist—the body and blood of your Son—teach me to remain in your love. “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me,” Jesus says. “In vain do they worship me.” The sins and evil intentions that Jesus names arise out of the heart. Lead me to purity of heart, Lord, and keep me in your truth, the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ your Son.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.