Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary:[3]

Reading 1: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8

Moses said to the people:
“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin upon you,
you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him?
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?”
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Commentary on Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

This passage from Deuteronomy marks the end of the historical part of the book and the beginning of Moses’ presentation of the law and statutes. He addresses the whole people telling them that unless they follow the statutes which he is about to present, they do not receive what God promises the faithful, in this case the land of milk and honey. While the promise of Moses was the inheritance of the literal (the land), God’s later promise was of a kingdom not of this earth.

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

R. (1a)One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

This selection records the response of the Temple representative when asked what virtues are appropriate in the eyes of God. The response lauds the person who follows the “Law”, specifically the Hebrew laws that warn against slander or false accusations. In the second strophe it honors the person who does no violence against another. And finally, in the last strophe, we are told that the person who does not charge interest on a loan (usury) is also uplifted.

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Reading II: James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Dearest brothers and sisters:
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
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Commentary on Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

This section of St. James letter continues his discourse started following the introduction about the value of trials and temptations. The one who follows the path of sin finds death while the one who overcomes temptation and remains faithful to the “Father of lights” will find life – the “kind of first fruits of his creatures.”

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Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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 summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.
“From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
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Commentary on Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

We begin the seventh chapter of Mark’s Gospel with an encounter with the Pharisees. Jesus’ disciples are not following strict pharisaic laws regarding ritual purification and the Lord, who is their teacher, is taken to task for it.Jesus responds indignantly quoting Isaiah 29:13 and pointing out that it is the Pharisees with their man made laws who are sinning against God. Jesus then takes that first command of God to man in the Garden and interprets it. He also stands Jewish Law that declares some foods to be unclean. The focus he makes is that the food that enters the body cannot destroy it but actions and words that contravene God’s Law will.

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Reflection:

We pose this question: in the following two examples, which person is a good Christian? In the first example we have the person who attends Mass every Sunday, follows the precepts of the Church scrupulously and prays the Rosary daily as well. Outside of these practices, however, they are focused completely on making life for themselves as comfortable as possible. Some would call them hedonistic and certainly uncharitable. In the second example, the person rarely attends Mass, is lax in virtually all of the precepts of the faith. However, their lives are dedicated to serving others. They give of themselves and their material goods unselfishly and go out of their way to help others.

Again – which is the good Christian?

It is, of course, a trick question. The true answer is neither are really good Christians. In the first example, the person who is scrupulous about the discipline and precepts of the Church might be seen as pillars of the Church by Sunday Church-goers. In appearance they do all the right things but without actions outside the community that reflects an interior attitude, these pious actions are empty. In St. Mark’s Gospel story, Jesus is referring to the critical Pharisees as falling into that category. He quotes the Prophet Isaiah and says “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” St. James also supports this view. He tells the early Church in his letter “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”

The second example is also has a serious problem. Yes, they are “doers of the word” as St. James said, however, in not fulfilling their basic obligations they have placed themselves above the Law God gave us. If we say, as many do, that what is truly important is how we act toward others; how we live Christian values, then we have thrown away an important aspect of what the Lord calls us to do and be. Arguing with a close friend about this very subject not to long ago, he made this argument – that the best “Christian” he know was Gandhi. He missed the difference between being “moral” and being Christian.

One who lives a life that expresses the values of our faith but does not participate in the faith life of the community is not necessarily even Christian. What makes one Christian is the belief that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. It does not matter how many people they help or how “good” they may be in all other aspects of their lives. Without that belief, they are not on the path to eternal life. They have not accepted the offer and are not necessarily going to enjoy the reward.

It may seem at times that selections from Sacred Scripture force us to understand the unique way in which God chooses to reveal himself in Christ. Moses speaks to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy telling them “…you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it” (referring to the Law). This is important based upon what happens in the Gospel story where Jesus encounters a group of Pharisees who observe that the Lord’s disciples are not scrupulous in following “Pharisaic Law” (which the group asserts is an accurate interpretation of how Mosaic Law is to be expressed). This passage has been interpreted by some as exempting us from scrupulously following what the Church demands in terms of discipline. It does not! What it does do is forces us to understand that what we do in the Sacrifice of the Mass must be expressed also in our lives outside the walls of the church.

What Jesus advocates in St. Mark’s Gospel is a balance between the stark demands of Moses and the pragmatic application of St. James. We must both adhere to the discipline of the our faith and express its intent in our lives if we are to be counted as followers of Christ in fullness.

Pax

[1] ALTRE
[2] The picture is “Jesus Explains Traditions” UNKNOWN; Illustrator of Jerome Nadal's 'Evangelicae Historiae Imagines', 1593
[3] Text of Readings is taken from the New American Bible, Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.