TRUE OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD (mere lip service is worthless)
First Reading: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2 and 6-8
Second Reading: James 1: 17-18 and 21-22
Gospel Reading: Mark 7: 1-8 and 14-15 &21-23
*First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses exhorts the chosen people to follow the statutes and ordinances of the Lord God and keep His commandments in letter and spirit. They are warned not to add anything or deduct anything from them. As a wise and understanding people, they are to observe them meticulously.
*Second reading is from the letter of St. James. James reminds us that God can be loved and served only by our love for fellow humans: Especially by serving the poor, the orphans, the widows and the needy. He instructs us that we ought to be doers of the word and not merely hearers. By this, we will be doing the will of God. Hence, it is not enough to listen to the word of God. We must put it into practice in our daily lives.
"You leave the commandments of God and hold fast to traditions." Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. Jesus confronts the Pharisees and the Scribes who accuse His disciples of not observing the traditions and practices of the Jews. This happens in the context of disciples of Jesus eating food without washing their hands as the prevalent Jewish custom demanded. According to their traditions, Jews are expected to wash their hands before eating any food. Jesus explains to them that what really make us impure is not what we eat or what we drink - that which goes into the stomach - but rather, what comes out of our heart: Evil thoughts, desires, fornication, theft, murder and adultery. Hence, Jesus invites us to have a close look at our set practices and traditions; whether they are helping us to have a better relationship with God and other humans. He wants us to have a true conversion of heart which leads to true faith and genuine God-experience. Let us not waste our precious lives in trivial matters but rather give due importance to essential principles of life. It is not enough to do lip service to God and fellow humans but rather, we must serve the fellow humans by concrete actions which come from our heart (cf. James Chapter 1). If all we do is listen to the word without letting it penetrate our hearts and move us to action, then we are no better than the Pharisees and the Scribes. Today Jesus invites us and urges us to consider how we keep the commandments of God. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta says: "Serving the poor is serving God." Mahatma Gandhi on one occasion said: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." In this context Fr. F. McCarthy says: "It is the heart that matters. It is not clean fingernails or clean teeth or a clean skin that makes a person clean in the sight of God. To be truly clean is to be clean of heart." May the Lord Jesus bless everyone of you and help you to come out of a life of lip service to that of God and humans and step out with your whole heart into what you do for God and other humans. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph." on Google search. Thanks.)
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