22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5
Reading II: James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Most of the restaurants nowadays have signs in the restrooms that state, “Please wash your hands before leaving.” Although the sign was more for sanitary and hygienic purpose, it has a socio-religious connotation for the Jewish religious traditions. There would have been no problem if it was treated as a hygienic law. But to measure the goodness of a person by his compliance with such laws is another matter. A person is not good because he observes the prevailing dress code, has certain eating habits, prefers a certain hairstyle or has parents of the right pedigree. It is something of which we too become easily guilty for we have judged people at times by such trivial matters.
The ceremonial washings in our religious practice flow from our belief that God whom we seek to encounter, and approach is All Holy. Therefore, we need to go to Him, clean and worthy. But often times we fail to remember that what God really values is our disposition in our hearts. We often focus on external details of worship, like the right words and actions, right doctrines and other points. And so we forget the more essential matter, with our whole mind, heart and will, the true glory of God. Our God looks at our loving heart, a thoughtful mind, a helping hand and an unselfish motive.
Efren Tomas
In 2004, Father Efren arrived on Maui, Hawaii to be the Pastor of Christ The King Catholic Church in Kahului, Maui until 2012. He calls Christ The King his home because this was his first parish in Hawaii.
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