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22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 |
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| Background: We return to Mark’s gospel this Sunday and once again discover how this short gospel, more than likely the first one, is so succinct in its presentation of the message of Jesus. The Pharisees had a narrow, legalistic view of how to worship their God. Jesus responds to their questioning of his disciples’ behavior with the quote from Isaiah regarding how to follow God’s commandments. Evil comes from the intention in our hearts and it is the intention, not the behavior, that keeps us from doing God’s will. |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a new pastor at a very active parish. A purist of the post-Vatican II liturgy, he was upset with the people who came to mass late, those who left early, and anyone who sat in the back of church and did not join in with the singing and responses. There was, in his view, only one way to participate in the liturgy and those who refused to do it his way, needed to be whipped into shape. He began a campaign aimed at shaming these people into what he considered correct behavior. Ushers were told to move people forward in the church and to show their displeasure with the late arrivers and early leavers. Associate pastors were instructed to stand in the back of church and let it be known that they, too, were not pleased with this errant behavior. In addition, in his Sunday homilies and the bulletin, the pastor reminded the parishioners of the correct way to participate in the liturgy. One associate, who did not agree with this approach, observed, "At least they come. Who are we to call into question their motives?" The pastor never understood why so many of the parishioners began going to the neighboring parish. The modern Catholic purist might not worry about what people eat. Still, we must always be on guard against the Pharisee tendency in our own hearts. |
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