DAILY- HOMILY

August 30, 2015 - 22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 

Cycle B, Green            

Dt 4:1 – 2, 6 – 8 / Jas 1:17 – 18, 21b -22, 27 / Mk 7:1 – 8, 14 - 15, 21 - 23

First Reading: Dt 4:1 – 2, 6 – 8 

     And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.

     Do not add anything to what I command you nor take anything away from it. But keep the commandments of Yahweh, your God, as I command you. 

     If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, "There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation." For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

Second Reading: Jas 1:17 – 18, 21b -22, 27

     Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in whom there is no change or shadow of a change. By his own will he gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to him among his creatures.

     Welcome the Word that has been planted in you and has the power to save you.

     Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest you deceive yourselves. 

     In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world's corruption.

Gospel:  Mk 7:1 – 8, 14 - 15 

     One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact all Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors. . . And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.

     So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?" Jesus answered, "You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules.' You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition."

     Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean."

Reflection:

     It must have been shocking and simply revolutionary for Jesus to tell the Scribes and Pharisees, "Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean.  It is what comes out from within that makes unclean."

     We can understand why the teachers of the Jews disagreed with Jesus for they were rigorous in their observance of the law and their traditions. Jesus criticized them for ignoring and missing out on the core values on which the law and their traditions were based. Would they allow themselves to starve on the sabbath when it was forbidden to work even to prepare food? Would they allow a person or animal at risk to perish on the sabbath because rescue would be considered forbidden work? 

     There were many restrictions and traditions on food. Certain foods were unclean and forbidden because they defiled a person. "Jesus declared that all foods are clean": "Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean? Since it enters, not the heart, but the stomach and is finally passed out." 

     Jesus clarified, "What comes out of a person is what defiles, for evil designs come out of the heart. . . All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean."

     Jesus chastised them fro their wrong priorities, "You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules.'  You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition."

     Our attitudes play a key role in what or how we feel and how we decide and behave.  Events and situations come and go in our lives: we deal with them according to our attitudes and beliefs.  

     Our attitudes, priorities and biases lead us to goodness or closed to it.  We have ears but may not hear because we are not able to hear or because we refuse to hear. However difficult or oppressive the situations we are in, we can be depressed and without hope or we can have hope and face the problems bravely, especially when we know we can always hope for and depend on God's help and grace. 

     God's grace makes use of our attitudes within ourselves so that we are not overwhelmed by situations around us but that we are enabled to adjust and behave ourselves towards what is good and right. 

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     FERNIDAND FORONDA

     LUIS GERARDO MANABAT

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     DR. BENJAMIN G. CASTILLO

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

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