Gospel Mark 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.”
Reflection The indictment of Jesus against the Pharisees reminds us of a very important truth. We have many practices in our religion, many things that we think can not change, that we think are essential.
But this gospel reminds us there is one core teaching in all of the practices of religion and that teaching is that you and I have been gifted with this gift of redemption. We’re freed of sin. We have no reason to try to earn anything from God by doing any rule or law. We are simply called to listen to the Spirit within us and to follow that spirit.
That's what brings us life. It’s not about doing. It's about becoming someone infused with spirit.
Closing Prayer Father, help us to make distinctions between things that are simply ways of helping us to become who we need to be. And your grace, your mysterious, powerful healing grace. It transforms us. We need to be aware and we need to be open to the transforming grace that you offer in Jesus. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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