Reading 1
Dt 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?”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 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.

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.

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.

Gospel
Mk 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.”

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.

This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.

On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.

INVOCATIONS

O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.

Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.

ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.

Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."

Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.

Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII

IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Sacred Heart Of Jesus image

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Immaculate Heart of Mary image

Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen.

....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439

From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power.
Amen. - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669

The Salutation to the Heart of Jesus and Mary

An Offering of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Novena Prayer to Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer to the Wounded Heart of Jesus

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

Meditation & Novena Prayer on the Sacred Heart

Beads to the Sacred Heart

Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Solemn Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Daily Offering to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Exaltation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin

The Holy Heart of Mary Is, After the Heart of Jesus, the Most Exalted Throne of Divine Love
Let us recollect that God has given us the feast of the most pure Heart of the Blessed Virgin so that we may render on that day all the respect, honor and praise that we possibly can. To enkindle this spirit within us let us consider our motivating obligations.

The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.

This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?

How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?

— St. John Eudes

The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)

Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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

Faithfulness to the Law: God’s Closeness to His People

(Moses said to the people:) [1] “And now, 0 Israel, give heed to the statutes and
the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and
take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you.
[2] You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you
may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

[6] Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding
in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes will say, ‘Sure-
ly this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ [7] For what great nation
is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we
call upon him? [8] And what great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinan-
ces so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day?

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

4:1-8. Having recalled the main events in Israel’s journey from Sinai-Horeb on-
wards, in which God’s special providence was evident, the text now stresses the
privileged position of the Hebrew people, chosen as they are by God from among
ll the nations of the earth, and enabled to draw near to him in a close relationship
quite beyond the experience of the Gentiles.

The passage acts as an advance exhortation to fidelity to the Law, the core of
which will be recorded later on (5:1-6; 6; 12:1-28:68); it may have been inserted
in the course of a revision of the book. The main argument it makes in favor of
keeping the Law is the fact that God is so near his people and so accessible to
them (vv. 7-8).

4:6-8. The theme of these verses is typical of Wisdom writing. The very life of
Israel, shaped as it is by obedience to the Law, will be an eloquent lesson for all
other nations. This message, open and out-reaching, implies a universal mission
for the chosen people, a message which looks far ahead and will find its fulfill-
ment in the future spread of the Church throughout the world.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

The Source of Temptation

[17] Every good endowment and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom
there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of His own will He brought us
forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Doers of the Word, Not Hearers Only (Continuation)

[21b] Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your
souls. [22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

[27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit
the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the
world.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

12. These words, which expand on the idea contained in verses 2-4, echo our
Lord’s own words: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and
utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in Heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12). The simile of the crown — a
mark of victory and kingship—is used to convey the idea of definitive triumph with
Christ: the Lord will appear crowned in glory (Revelation 14:14); the Woman of
the Apocalypse, symbolizing the Church and the Blessed Virgin, is also des-
cribed as crowned (cf. Revelation 12:1); and this reward is promised to those
who stay true to God in this life (cf. Revelation 2:10; 3:11). It is also to be found
in other New Testament passages to convey the idea of the ultimate reward of
Heaven (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:4).

This means that Christians should not be depressed or cowed by the difficulties
which God permits them to experience; on the contrary, they should see them
as a series of tests which with God’s help they should surmount in order to re-
ceive the reward of Heaven. “The Lord does not allow His followers to experience
these trials and temptations unless it be for their greater good,” St. John of Avila
comments. “He disposed things in this way: endurance in adversity and strug-
gle against temptation prove who His friends are. For the mark of a true friend is
not that he keeps you company when times are good, but that he stands by you
in times of trial [...]. Companions in adversity and later in the Kingdom, you should
strive to fight manfully when you meet opposition that would separate you from
God, for He is your help here on earth and your reward in Heaven” (”Audi, Filia”,
29).

13-18. These verses identify the source of the temptations man experiences:
they cannot come from God but are, rather, the effect of human concupiscence
(verses 16-18).

Sometimes temptation means putting a person’s faithfulness to the test; in this
sense it can be said that God “tempts” certain people, as happened in the case
of Abraham (cf. Genesis 22:1 ff). However, here the reference is to temptation in
the strict sense of incitement to sin: God never tempts anyone in this way, He
never encourages a person to do evil (cf. Sirach 15:11-20). Therefore, we cannot
attribute to God our inclination to sin, nor can it be argued that by endowing us
with freedom He is the cause of our sin. On the contrary, the natural and super-
natural gifts we have received are resources which help us act in a morally good
way.

14-15. St. James’ teaching is that the source of temptation is to be found in our
own passions. Elsewhere he says that the world (cf. 1:27; 4:4) and the devil (4:7)
are causes of temptations; but to actually commit sin the complicity of one’s own
evil inclinations is always necessary.

Concupiscence (”desire”), here as elsewhere in the New Testament (cf., e.g., Ro-
mans 1:24; 7:7 ff; 1 John 2:16), means all the disordered passions and appetites
which, as a result of original sin, have a place in men’s hearts. Concupiscence as
such is not a sin; but rather, according to the Council of Trent, “since it is left to
provide a trial, it has no power to injure those who do not consent and who, by the
grace of Jesus Christ, manfully resist”; and if it is sometimes called sin (cf. Ro-
mans 6:12 ff) it is “only because it is from sin and inclines to sin” (”De Peccato
Originali”, 5).

Using the simile of generation St. James describes the course of sin from the
stage of temptation to that of the death of the soul. When one gives in to the se-
duction of concupiscence sin is committed; this in turn leads to spiritual death,
to the soul’s losing the life of grace. This is the opposite process to the one de-
scribed earlier (cf. verses 2-12), which begins with trials (temptations in the broad
sense: cf. note on 1:2-4) and ends up in Heaven; whereas in this passage, the
process also begins with temptation but because of sin ends up with the death
of the soul. John Paul II describes the process as follows: “Man also knows,
through painful experience, that by a conscious and free act of the will he can
change course and go in a direction opposed to God’s will, separating himself
from God (”aversio a Deo”), rejecting loving communion with Him, detaching
himself from the life-principle which God is, and consequently choosing “death”
(”Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 17).

16-18. “The Father of lights”: a reference to God as Creator of the heavenly bo-
dies (cf. Genesis 1:14 ff; Psalm 136:7-9) and, in the symbolism of light, as the
source of all good things, material and, especially, spiritual. Unlike heavenly bo-
dies, which change position and cast shadows, there is no variation or shadow
in God: no evil can be attributed to Him (cf. verse 13), but only good things.

“First fruits of His creatures”: Christians, who have been recreated by God by
“the word of truth” (the Gospel) already constitute the beginning of the New Hea-
ven and the New Earth (cf. Revelation 21:1) and are a sign of hope for all mankind
and for the whole of Creation (cf. Romans 9:19-23).

19-27. In the previous verse the sacred writer referred to the effectiveness of “the
word of truth”. Now he makes the point that although the Gospel has this effec-
tiveness, it is not enough just to hear it: we need to listen to it with docility (ver-
ses 19-21) and put it into practice (verses 22-27). Further on he will emphasize
this connection between faith and works (cf. 2:14-26).

21. “First he calls”, St. Bede comments, “for the cleansing of mind and body from
vice, so that those who receive the word of salvation can live in a worthy manner.
A person who does not first turn his back on evil cannot do good” (”Super Iac. Ex-
positio, ad loc”.).

To listen docilely to the word of God one needs to try to keep evil inclinations at
bay. Otherwise, pride — deceiving itself with all sorts of false reasons — rebels
against the word of God (which it sees as a continuous reproach for a habit of sin
it is unwilling to give up).

22-25. Sacred Scripture frequently exhorts us to put the word of God into practice:
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a
man who built his house upon the sand” (Matthew 7:26; cf., e.g., Ezekiel 33:10-
11; Matthew 12:50; Romans 2:13; James 2:14-26).

The comparison of the man looking into the mirror is a very good one: the word
of God is frustrated unless it leads to examination of conscience and a firm reso-
lution to mend one’s ways. Those who are doers of the word will be “blessed”;
our Lord says the same thing when He describes as blessed those who “hear
the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).

St. James’ counsels in this passage are a clear call for the consistency a Chris-
tian must seek at all times. Pope John Paul II comments: “These are very se-
rious, very severe statements; a Christian should always be genuine, should ne-
ver be content with words alone. The mission he has received is a delicate one:
he should be leaven in society, light of the world, salt of the earth. As time goes
by, the Christian becomes more and more aware of his commitment, and the
difficulties it entails: he discovers he has to swim against the tide, he has to bear
witness to truths which are absolute, yet invisible; he has to lose his earthly life
in order to gain eternity; he needs to feel responsible not just for himself but also
for his neighbor — for whom he should light the way, and edify and save. However,
he realizes that he is not alone in all this [...]. The Christian knows that not only
did Jesus Christ, the Word of God, become man to reveal saving truth and re-
deem mankind; He has also chosen to stay with us on earth, mysteriously re-
newing the sacrifice of the Cross by means of the Eucharist and becoming spiri-
tual food for the soul and accompanying it on its journey through life” (”Homily”,
1 September 1979).

26-27. St. James now gives some examples of what doing “the word of truth”
(verse 18), that is, the Gospel, means—controlling one’s tongue, being charitable
and not letting oneself be stained by the world.

The Old Testament often refers to widows and orphans as deserving of special at-
tention (cf. Psalm 68:5; 146:9; Deuteronomy 27:19), and the first Christians made
arrangements for the care of widows in the early communities (cf. Acts 6:1ff; 9:39;
1 Timothy 5:3ff). Concern for widows and orphans is included in the works of mer-
cy (”by which the temporal or spiritual wants of our neighbor are relieved” (”St.
Pius X Catechism”, 943), which our Lord will take into account at the Last Judg-
ment (cf. Matthew 25:31-46).

“World” here has the pejorative meaning of “enemy of God and of Christians” (cf.
also 4:4; and other passages of Scripture, e.g., John 1:10; 7:7; 16:8-11; Ephe-
sians 2:2; 2 Peter 2:20); one needs to be constantly on the alert to avoid conta-
mination...

“God and the Father”: this is the literal meaning of the Greek. In New Testament
Greek the term “God” when preceded by the definite article normally means not
the divine nature but the person of the Father. In this case by adding the words
“and the Father” St. James does not mean another, distinct Divine Person: he is
simply making explicit the meaning of the term “the God”. It could also be trans-
lated by the paraphrase “before Him who is God and Father”.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

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

The Tradition of the Elders

[1] Now when the Pharisees gathered together to Him (Jesus), with some of the
scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, [2] they saw that some of His disciples
ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. [3] (For the Pharisees, and all the
Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the el-
ders; [4] and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless
they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe,
the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) [5] And the Pharisees and
the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition
of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” [6] And He said to them, “Well did
Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with
their lips, but their heart is far from Me; [7] in vain do they worship Me, teaching
as doctrines the precepts of men.’ [8] You leave the commandment of God, and
hold fast the tradition of men.

What Defiles a Man

[14] And [Jesus] called the people to meet Him, and said to them, “Hear Me, all
of you, and understand: [15] there is nothing outside a man which by going into
him can defile him; but the things that come out of a man are what defile him.”

[21] For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft,
murder, adultery, [22] coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander,
pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within, and they defile a
man.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-2. Hands were washed not for reasons of hygiene or good manners but because
the custom had religious significance: it was a rite of purification. In Exodus 30:
17ff the Law of God laid down how priests should wash before offering sacrifice.
Jewish tradition had extended this to all Jews before every meal, in an effort to
give meals a religious significance, which was reflected in the blessings which
marked the start of meals. Ritual purification was a symbol of the moral purity a
person should have when approaching God (Psalm 24:3ff; 51:4 and 9); but the
Pharisees had focused on the mere external rite. Therefore Jesus restores the
genuine mea- ning of these precepts of the Law, whose purpose is to teach the
right way to render homage to God (cf. John 4:24).

3-5. We can see clearly from this text that very many of those to whom St. Mark’s
Gospel was first addressed were Christians who had been pagans and were unfa-
miliar with Jewish customs. The Evangelist explains these customs in some detail,
to help them realize the significance of the events and teachings reported in the
Gospel story.

Similarly, Sacred Scripture needs to be preached and taught in a way which puts
it within reach of its hearers. This is why Vatican II teaches that “it is for the bi-
shops suitable to instruct the faithful [...] by giving them translations of the sacred
texts which are equipped with necessary and really adequate explanations. Thus
the children of the Church can familiarize themselves safely and profitably with the
Sacred Scriptures, and become steeped in their spirit” (”Dei Verbum”, 25).

15. Some important codexes add here: “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear,”
which would form verse 16.

20-23. “In order to help us understand divine things, Scripture uses the expression
‘heart’ in its full meaning, as the summary and source, expression and ultimate
basis, of one’s thoughts, words and actions” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing
By”, 164).

The goodness or malice, the moral quality, of our actions does not depend on their
spontaneous, instinctive character. The Lord Himself tells us that sinful actions can
come from the human heart.

We can understand how this can happen if we realize that, after original sin, man
“was changed for the worse” in both body and soul and was, therefore, prone to evil
(cf. Council of Trent, “De Peccato Originali”). Our Lord here restores morality in all
its purity and intensity.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Mass Readings

First reading	Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 ©
Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

First reading

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 ©

Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 14:2-5

Second reading	James 1:17-18,21-22,27 ©
It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created. So do away with all the impurities and bad habits that are still left in you – accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

Second reading

It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created. So do away with all the impurities and bad habits that are still left in you – accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

Gospel	Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 ©
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

Gospel

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours me only with lip-service,

while their hearts are far from me.

The worship they offer me is worthless,

the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

Pharisees, Good and Bad

August 29th, 2009 by Fr. Paul Scalia

It is probably not a sign of spiritual health when you agree with the Pharisees. We know that the Pharisees opposed our Lord in His ministry and message. Yet few of us would dispute their criticism that some of our Lord’s disciples “ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands” (Mk 7:2). We should always wash up before we eat, right? Good manners, not to mention good hygiene, require as much. So have we just sided with the Pharisees against our Lord?

For the record, we should wash up before eating. But the Pharisees’ criticism has nothing to do with manners or hygiene. It concerns, rather, their punctilious view of ritual purification. The Pharisees were obsessed with it: “[T]hey 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” (Mk 7:3-4).

This emphasis on ritual purity began with the best of motives. The Pharisees desired to incorporate personal holiness and awareness of God into every aspect of life — no matter how small or obscure. They wanted to keep themselves pure from the sinful things of this world and remain devoted to God. Unfortunately, by our Lord’s time these good instincts had hardened into a fierce legalism. The ritual requirements had multiplied beyond reason (248 prescriptions and 346 prohibitions, by one author’s reckoning) and the underlying spiritual purpose (awareness of God in everyday things) had been forgotten. Now since the Pharisees were the members of Israel who took religion most seriously, we who take our faith seriously should glean what lessons we can from their goodness and likewise from their errors.

First, the practice of the presence of God. The Pharisees’ problem was not that they wanted to incorporate God into every aspect of life. It was that they legislated it in such a way that a man’s failure to do x, y, or z would mean that he was displeasing to God. We, however, should incorporate God into our lives a great deal more. We tend to consign Him to one area of our lives (usually that hour on Sunday) and consider the rest as ours to do with as we please. This produces that strange beast that claims to be Catholic in one area but not in another — as if devotion to God can be changed out like the shirt on one’s back.

The Pharisees had it right: We should devote ourselves to God in all things, great and small. They understood that devotion to God cannot be vague or purely spiritual — because we are not pure spirits. For devotion to mean anything it must become concrete and specific — yes, even in the way we eat, cook, work, play, shop, etc. It makes no sense to believe in the Word made flesh but not allow His words to take flesh in our lives.

Second, the interior investment. Alas, despite their good motives, we will always know the Pharisees as legalists. They reduced devotion to a matter of external observance. One’s goodness became mere adherence to a law. There was no interior investment of oneself, no relationship with God, no spiritual growth. The lesson here should be clear: Observance of Church discipline without the investment of ourselves interiorly does not benefit us. The Church’s rules (really a modest number, contrary to popular belief) seek to establish a bare minimum of observance and to hold us accountable.

Yes, we will have duties and obligations. The Church, as any society, will have certain disciplines and requirements. We should not trivialize them or set them aside. At the same time, we should keep in mind that our Lord and His Church want us to respond to the demands of the faith not out of obligation but out of interior devotion. Only when our interior devotion corresponds to our external observance will we slip the Pharisaical knot and find true holiness.

Fr. Scalia is parochial vicar of St. Rita parish in Alexandria, VA.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

The Work of God

Year B

- 22nd Sunday in ordinary time

This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me

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

1 And there assembled together unto him the Pharisees and some of the scribes, coming from Jerusalem.
2 And when they had seen some of his disciples eat bread with unclean hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews eat not without often washing their hands, holding the tradition of the ancients:
4 And when they come from the market, unless they be washed, they eat not: and many other things there are that have been delivered to them to observe, the washings of cups and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds.
5 And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not your disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with unclean hands?
6 But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaiah to prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men.
8 For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.
14 And calling again the multitude unto him, he said to them: Hear me, all of you, and understand.
15 There is nothing from outside a man that entering into him, can defile him. But the things which come from a man, those are they that defile a man.
21 For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile a man.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

22nd Sunday in ordinary time - This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me

I said, “do not judge” because he who judges will be judged. It is very common in the spiritual life to think that human efforts may lead to sanctity, but I want to remind you that God is the one who builds the spiritual house, not man. Those whose efforts are not combined with obedience forfeit the grace that is always given to the humble.

The Pharisees used to criticize my disciples and doubted my teachings, they had become proud and thought that they were better than everybody else. Today, there are many who criticize those who are in the spiritual life; and putting aside my teachings they think that they are in a higher spiritual position. This is why I said, the first will be the last, and the last will be the first.

What is human opinion before God? I am the Master, and my teaching brings perfection to the soul. There is nothing good in personal opinion since that is contaminated with self-love and is always mixed with pride, even in the souls closest to me. This is why I have called you to learn from me, who am humble of heart. I the greatest, the King, have become the slave of humanity and have come to serve you.

It is very serious to judge others, because only God knows the heart of everyone, he who imparts judgment is putting himself above the person being judged and loses merit for many of his good deeds. It is of no value to offer me prayer, when the heart is rejecting my teachings; it is worthless to offer me lip service when the soul is full of egoism and the heart is far away from me.

He who wants to be forgiven must forgive others, he who wants to know what concept I have of him, must abandon all judgment to others, he who wants to be worthy of me, must recognize constantly his indignity and must live in accordance to his repentance.

He who wishes to grow spiritually must be filled with me, so that he can become a fountain of living water and so that from his heart may come good works as a testimony of my Presence in his life.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

The Road to Emmaus

Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

By Brian Pizzalato *

First Reading – Dt. 4:1-2, 6-8

Responsorial Psalm – Ps. 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

Second Reading – Jam. 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Gospel Reading – Mk. 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

This Sunday, after having heard from John 6 for the last five weeks, we now return to the Gospel of Mark. In the reading from Mark for the twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary time, coupled with the Old Testament reading from the book of Deuteronomy, we learn that sometimes we just don’t learn.

What we hear from the book of Deuteronomy takes place after the Israelites have wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, which was a punishment for not trusting the Lord. They are now on the plains of Moab listening to Moses give one last teaching before he dies, and they enter into the Promised Land. They are renewing the covenant first made a Mt. Sinai 40 years earlier, with the Deuteronomic covenant. Moses tells them clearly, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you" (Deuteronomy 4:2). Did they learn from Moses? Did the add or take away from the commands of the Lord?

When we come to the Pharisees in Mark’s Gospel this is precisely what they have done, added to the Law of Moses. As Mary Healy notes in her book, The Gospel of Mark, "The law of Moses had prescribed rules for cultic purity of priests, including the washing of their hands and feet before offering sacrifices and ritual purity before eating their share of a sacrifice. These biblical rules apply only to priests serving at the altar, but the oral tradition developed by the Pharisees had extended them to govern the behavior of all Jews at all meals…" (pp. 135-136, original emphasis). The washing of hands did not have to do with hygiene, but with ritual purity.

In Mark 7:13, a verse not read in this Sunday’s reading, Jesus makes clear what the Pharisees have done, they are "…making void the word of God through the tradition which you hand on." Here he is speaking in reference to their not keeping the fourth commandment to honor their father and mother, in favor of keeping a tradition they have made up. Jesus introduced what he was going to say here by quoting Isaiah 29:13, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain to they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mark 7:6-7). Jesus then says, "You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast to the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8). Jesus and his disciples have, on the other hand, left behind the traditions of men to hold fast to the commandment of God.

Jesus’ issue is not with tradition as such. It is with merely human traditions which make void the word of God, i.e. his commandments. The Pharisees have used their traditions to get around keeping the Ten Commandments. They are giving God lip service. They want to seem holy to everyone who sees them, but inside they have forsaken the Lord. They are hypocrites, stage actors, pretending to be something they are not.

Jesus turns their understanding of holiness and purity on its head. "There is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him" (Mark 7:15). Exterior things cannot defile. It is what is in the heart and what comes out of the heart and lips that defile. Jesus moves them from exterior to the interior dimension of holiness and purity.

Jesus says, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride foolishness" (Mark 7:21-22). Though the Pharisees may appear holy and pure from the outside because they wash their hands, they are in fact unholy and impure on the inside. As Jesus will say in the Gospel of Matthew, they are like "whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness" (23:27).

One lesson for the day is that all religious practices that have an outward appearance, need to come from the heart. The outward should be a true expression of the interior dimension of the person, and his devotion to God.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.