Examining Our Traditions
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
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.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
The Scriptures clearly condemn as sinful many of the things that we see so often in the world around us. And it is good that we notice and understand that these things are sinful. But a more perfect way to hear the Scriptures is to look not only at the sins of the world and others, but also to look inward, at our own sins. We are sinners that Christ has come to save. We need him just as much as others whose sins might seem more obvious.
Jesus mentions one kind of sin in the Gospel today that we don’t see among non-religious people, but only among the religious… only among us. He is talking to certain religious people, accusing them of “teaching as doctrine human precepts.” We might not think, at first, that we fall into that group of religious people who “disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition,” but a closer examination of conscience might show us otherwise. Do we regularly overextend ourselves at the parish or volunteer organizations to the neglect of our family? Do we value the culture’s standard of appearing nice more than God’s standard of speaking necessary truth? Do we have a routine of prayers that we feel we always have to get through instead of letting the Holy Spirit break in? Do we have a to-do list that keeps us from stopping when we feel the Holy Spirit tugging at our attention? We can disregard God for the sake of our own traditions, our own plans, our own thinking. The Gospel is speaking to us. We are the sinners who must examine our traditions next to God’s commands.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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