6 February, 2024 | Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

 Reading   : 1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30

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."

Reflections:

In the gospel the disciples of Jesus were criticized for not respecting the tradition of the elders. Jesus defends his disciples by declaring that the commandment of God or the word of God is more important than human religious’ tradition. Jesus seems to be saying that God can never be fully contained within any religious tradition no matter how revered. We need religious traditions to help us to give expression to our relationship with God, our faith.  

Sometimes our traditions hinder us from seeing things clearly and from obeying the Law of God. In addition, we fail to see things from another perspective making us quick to judge just like those Pharisees and scribes. We ask Jesus to help us to be faithful to our traditions handed down to us by our forefathers, and an openness to renew and change to the new revelation of God. 

Activity:

Review one or two of your habits and patterns of activity and ask God to guide you to recognise where they lead us.

  

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