READINGS: Deut 4:1-2,6-8; Psalm 14:2-5; James 1:17-18,21-22,27; Mark 7:1-8,14
15,21-23
THEME: WORRY MORE ABOUT THE PURITY OF YOUR SOUL!
a. THE ESSENCE OF KEEPING AND OBSERVING THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS
Today, in the first reading, Moses reminded the people the reason God gave them the law and the importance of keeping the laws and living according to their customs. In the words of Moses, the reason the people of Israel should keep and live according to the details of the laws is ‘to demonstrate to the nations their wisdom and understanding.’ That is to say, the external observance of the law should give evidence of the internal life of the people.
The essence of keeping and observing the law should not be a pretense of a good and orderly people but a demonstration of the spiritual gift of the people. That is to say, the law should be the external proceedings of the wisdom and understanding which the people already possessed internally.
Observance of the laws becomes living out one’s wisdom and understanding, one’s conviction and belief, one’s internal state of life. God’s law aims first in making us perfect internally, and from this internal perfection we live out the law.
b. WORRY MORE ABOUT THE PURITY OF YOUR SOUL
The law of purity of which washing of hands was part, was a cultural practice of the people of Israel which was meant to keep them separate from the rest of the people. Israelites saw themselves as specially chosen by God, the Only True God, and other nations are nothing but pagans, that is to say, ‘unclean or contaminated people’.
In order to see that the people of Israel did not associate with these other nations, less they become ‘unclean’ by adopting their lifestyles, they were given the rite of purification after going out. Behind this customary practice was the attempt to prevent the people of Israel from mixing up with other people less they abandon their own God, their lifestyle, and their identity.
Hence, the law of purity was not actually a law from God but the tradition of the people of Israel. Many of these traditions of the elders were more of externalism. Now, Jesus came, bridging that distinction between nations, proclaiming God the Father of every person, no matter his/her nation.
Hence, there was no reason behind the law of purity in the way it was observed by the Pharisees. The
purification which is more important and which Jesus preaches on is that of the soul. The Pharisees were so much interested in the possible contamination of the people and the way to ensure that purity is restored.
They thought that what made them less a chosen people of God were something external. The Pharisees were very much interested in their relationship with other nations that they forgot that what matters is their relationship with God.
They thought that their uncleanliness comes from their physical contact with the world, but their uncleanliness comes from what happened inside each one of them. We take care of our external world. We buy expensive clothes in order to look great and honored. We are always in the Church so that we may be seen as the holy people of God. We build houses, plant flowers around them, paint them etc, so they become so attractive. These aspects of our lives are very
wonderful and encouraging.
But the beauty of our external world must be a reflection or outflow of the beauty of our souls. God is not so much interested in how we are seen externally but how clean our souls stand before him. What makes us clean or unclean before God is not the external world around but what we ourselves produce from our internal world.
We can see evil in the world…we can experience evil doings in the world…we can even suffer mistreatments, difficulties, the world can throw its worst on us, but these do not determine who we are. Our real identity is shown by the attitude we give out to the external world.
How many times have we seen someone and thought “he/she dresses very well. He/she is always neat and takes care of him-/her-self. But on relating with the person, on getting closer to the person, and seeing how he/she speaks, how/she behaves, the kind of thoughts he/she lets out, we are forced to say, “this is a well decorated grave. Outside is beautifully decorated but inside is full of routine bodies, dangerous worms, and pungent smell”?
c. “THE PHARISEES AND THE JEWS DO NOT EAT UNLESS THEY WASH
THEIR HANDS” The gospel emphasizes the fact that the Pharisees and the rest of the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands. No matter how hungry a Jew was, before he/she ate, there must be cleansing, the washing of hands. Hence, there is no eating unless cleansing occurs.
Does this not say a word to us about our spiritual food, the Eucharist? For five Sundays we read about Jesus’ teaching about his Body and Blood and the fact that life comes from eating his body and blood. But the question is, do we partake of this great spiritual food without first undergoing spiritual cleansing?
The Jews were so faithful to their ritual cleansing before eating that in order to make sure that they did not forget or be in doubt if the cleansing had occurred, they always kept water and bowl before the door so that upon entrance, they had to wash themselves, and also by the side of the meal-table, water and bowl are set for washing.
Can it be said that we eat of the Body and Blood of Christ without first of all undergoing the penitential cleansing through the Sacrament of Penance? The Jews had two alternatives: either one undergoes the ritual cleansing and then eat, or no eating because there had not been cleansing. The same also should go with us.
We are invited to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, but that must happen only when we had undergone a thorough ritual cleansing of our soul. But if by any chance, we miss the ritual cleansing that happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there should not be partaking in the Body and Blood of Christ.
Is it possible that looking at how desecrating we, the disciples of Jesus, receive the Body and Blood of Christ without undergoing spiritual cleansing, the angels and saints would walk to Jesus and ask him “why do your disciples not live according to the teaching of the Church but receive your sacred Body and Blood with and in an unclean soul?”
REV. FR. HENRY CHUKWUEZUGO NNAMAH
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF AGULERI