Sunday Reflections

Twenty Second Sunday  August 29, 2021

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

 

Image Courtesy: Mangalore diocese

Two monks, Brother Francis and an elder monk, are walking down a muddy road on a rainy day. They came upon a lovely young girl dressed in fine silks, who was afraid to cross because of all the mud and the flood. “Come on, girl,” said Brother Francis. And he picked her up in his strong arms, and carried her across. The two monks walked in silence till they reached the monastery. Then the elder monk couldn't bear it any longer. “Monks shouldn't go near young girls,” he said, “certainly not beautiful ones like that one! Why did you do it?” “Dear brother,” said Brother Francis, “I put the girl down by the river bank, but you have carried her right into the monastery.”

In today’s gospel the Pharisees and the scribes speak for the spirituality of avoidance. Their focus is on ritual observances. Their complaint about eating with unwashed hands has nothing to do with personal hygiene. They are interested in the ritual washing of hands which was an institution meant to avoid the presumed impurity of Gentiles from contaminating the ritual purity of Hebrews. By not observing the ceremony the disciples of Jesus are blurring the distinction between Jews and Gentiles and behaving as if the two were one. Jesus defends this spirituality of inclusion with outsiders in very unmistakable terms: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile” (Mark 7:14-15).

Dear friends, we are called to be holy as our religion is holy. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father and we must say in favour of Pharisees that they insisted that God’s presence must be experienced not only in the Temple but in everyone’s everyday life and business. Since God is All-Holy, one needs to be holy to meet everyday presence. Jesus shared this insight saying that he had not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. 

For the Pharisees, holiness included ritual cleanliness. Their intention was to extend the laws of ritual purity from priests to all Israelites who were considered priestly people. Their difficulty was that this often had the effect of producing a very legalistic type of religion. The washing of hands and other rituals contained all kinds of minute rules including the amount of water to be used. There were even taboos against unclean cups and vessels. This made it difficult to arrive at the heart of true religion. Jesus condemned the Pharisees that their definition of true religion depended upon the rules that were made in many places by people rather than by God. True religion must come from listening to and accepting the voice of God.  Here Jesus presented the new rule for the Scribes and Pharisees as he prescribes it to us today.

Today is a good day to take a second look at our spiritual orientation. Do we cultivate a spirituality of avoidance like the elder monk who would leave a small girl out in the cold for the sake of keeping some man-made rule or for fear of compromising his holiness? If so today’s gospel challenges us to be more like Brother Francis who would reach out to all those in need, knowing that unless we carry the defilement in our hearts already, nothing and nobody outside of us can defile us.

(You are most welcome to add your thoughts and reflections in the comment section below)

Happy Sunday