The Tradition and traditions

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

It-22 Ħadd matul is-Sena

Messalin B pp 452

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?" This is the Word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Qari

Qari mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 4, 1-2, 6-8

Mose' kellem lill-poplu u qal:  "U issa, Iżrael, agħti widen għal-liġijiet u l-ordnijiet li qiegħed ngħallimkom tagħmlu ħalli tgħixu, u tidħlu tieħdu l-art li se jagħtikom il-Mulej, Alla ta' missirijietkom. La żżidu xejn ma' dak li qiegħed nordnalkom u l-anqas tnaqqsu  minnu;  qisu li tħarsu l-liġijiet tal-Mulej, Alla  tagħkom, bħalma qiegħed  nagħtihomlkom  jien. Ħarsuhom u agħmluhom, għax hekk tidhru għorrief u għaqlin f'għajnejn  il-ġnus li, kif jisimgħu b'dawn  il-liġijiet kollha, igħidu, 'M'hemmx poplu  ieħor għaref u għaqli għajr dan il-ġens kbir." Għax liema ġens hu hekk kbir li għandu ‘allat hekk qrib tiegħu daqs kemm hu qrib tagħna l-Mulej, Alla tagħna,kull x'ħin insejħulu?   Jew liema ġens hu hekk kbir li għandu liġijiet u ordnijiet hekk sewwa daqs dak kollu li fiha din il-liġi li qiegħed noffrikom illum jien?" Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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/

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/

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things

shall never be disturbed.                                             R/

Salm Responsorjali                                                                                              

(Salm 14)

R/   Mulej, min jgħammar fid-dar tiegħek?

Min jimxi bla ħtija u jagħmel  it-tajjeb,

min igħid is-sewwa f'qalbu,

min ma jqassasx bi lsienu.                             R/

Min  ma jagħmilx deni lil ġaru,

u ma jgħajjarx lil-għajru;

min ma jistmax lill-bnedmin ħażin,

imma jweġġaħ lil dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej.    R/

Min jislef u ma jitlobx  imgħax,

u ma jixxaħħamx  kontra  min hu bla ħtija.

Min jagħmel dan qatt ma jitħarrek.                 R/

Reading 2                

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. This is the Word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Qari

Qari mill-Ittra ta' Ġakbu Appostlu 1, 17-18, 21-22,27

Għeżież,  kull ħaġa tajba li tingħata u kull don perfett jiġi mis-sema, jinżel mingħand il-Missier, l-għajn tad-dawl, li fih ma hemm ebda  tibdil u anqas dell ta' tidwir.   Għax ried hu, wellidna  bil-kelma tal-verita',   biex inkunu l-ewwel frott tal-ħlejjaq tiegħu.Ilqgħu bil-ħlewwa l-Kelma mħawla fikom, li tista' ssalvalkom ruħkom.    Kunu intom dawl li jagħmlu l-Kelma, u mħux tisimgħuha biss u hekk tqarrqu bikom innifiskom.Quddiem Alla u Missierna r-reliġjon ġenwina  u bla tebgħa  hija din:  iżżur l-iltiema u r-romol fil-hemm tagħhom, u żżomm ruħek bla tinġis 'il bogħod mid-dinja. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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." This is the Word of the Lord.

 L-Evanġelju

skont San Mark 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

F'dak iż-żmien,   il-Fariżejj u xi wħud mill-kittieba li ġew minn  Ġerusalemm inġabru ħdejn Ġesu', u raw li xi wħud mid-dixxipli tiegħu kienu qeghdin  jieklu b'idejhom mhumiex indaf, jiġifieri,  mhumiex maħsulin.  Għax il-Fariżej u  l-Lhud  kollha, biex iħarsu t-tradizzjonijiet ta' missirijiethom, ma jmissux ikel qabel ma jkunu ħaslu idejhom sewwa; hekk ukoll wara li jerġgħu  lura mis-suq, ma jiklux jekk ma jinħaslux; u għandhom bosta drawiet  oħra li baqgħu marbutin magħhom minn żmien għal ieħor, bħalma huma l-ħasil tat-tazzi u tal-buqari u tal-tkieli tal-bronż.   Mela,  l-Fariżej u l-kittieba staqsewh:   "Dan l-għala d-dixxipli tiegħek ma jġibux ruħhom skond it-tradizzjoni ta' missirijiethom, imma jieklu b'idejhom  m'humiex indaf? Iżda hu weġibhom:  "Sewwa ħabbar Isaija fuqkom, ja nies ta' wiċċ b'ieħor,  bħalma  hu miktub,  'Dan il-poplu, bix-xofftejn biss jagħtini ġieh, imma qalbhom hija 'l bogħod minni.  Fiergħa hi l-qima li jagħtuni; jgħallmu  dutttrina li mhijiex għajr preċetti tal-bnedmin.'    Hekk intom,  twarrbu  l-kmandamenti  ta' Alla biex tħaddnu t-tradizzjoni tal-bnedmin." Raġa' sejjaħ in-nies lejh u qalilhom:   "Isimgħuni, intom ilkoll,u ifhmuni!   Ma hemm xejn minn barra li meta jidħol fi bniedem itebbgħu; imma dak li joħroġ minnn ġol-bniedem,  dak hu li jtabba'  lill-bniedem.   Għax hu minn ġewwa,  mill-qalb tal-bniedem, li joħorġu  il-ħsibijiet il-ħżiena: żina, serq, qtil, adulterju, regħba, ħażen, qerq, libertinaġġ, għijra  malafama suppervja u bluha.  Dal-ħażen kollu minn ġewwa joħroġ u  jtabba' lill-bniedem." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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   Caught Up in the Externals 

   A reflection by 

Fr. Thomas Rosica

How many times have we heard, or perhaps even said ourselves: "So-and-so is a Pharisee." "That person is so Pharisaical." "They are caught up in Pharisaism."

Sunday's Gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23) offers us a good opportunity to understand the role of the Pharisees in Judaism, and why Jesus and others had such strong feelings against their behaviour. Who were the Pharisees of Jesus' time, and who are their modern-day contemporaries?

Let me try to simplify a very complex topic to help us understand today's Gospel. The Pharisees sought to make the Law come alive in every Jew by interpreting its commandments in such a way as to adapt them to the various spheres of life.

The doctrine of the Pharisees is not opposed to that of Christianity. At the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were the "conservative party" within Judaism. They adhered strictly to the Torah and the Talmud and were outwardly very moral people. They were the leaders of the majority of the Jews and were revered by their followers for their religious zeal and dedication. Their main opposition was the party of the Sadducees, who were the "liberal party" within Judaism. The Sadducees were popular among the high-class minority.

Adherence to the law

The Pharisees in Jesus' time promoted adherence to the law with a genuine interior response and advocated ordinary day-to-day spirituality. There were some Pharisees who were caught up only in external prescriptions, but they would have been criticized by other Pharisees even as the prophet Isaiah criticized hypocrisy in the past. Similarly, Jesus reprimanded aberrant Pharisees occasionally and had some clashes with them over his reinterpretation of the law. Jesus did not condemn Pharisaism as such or all Pharisees.

The Pharisees "relied on themselves, that they are righteous." They believed that their own works -- their doing what God commands and their abstaining from what God forbids -- were what gained and maintained God's favour and recommended them to God. The Pharisees self-righteously and hypocritically despised all others who did not meet the same standard of law keeping that they met.

They would not eat with the tax collectors and other sinners because they were self-righteously aloof. They spent their time murmuring about who was eating and drinking with Jesus. Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31-32).

No etiquette lesson!

In Sunday's Gospel passage, (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23), the Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem to investigate Jesus. Jesus abolishes the practice of ritual purity and the distinction between clean and unclean foods. The watchdogs of religious tradition cite Jesus for running a rather lax operation! Some of his disciples were eating with unwashed hands (Mark 7:2). Pharisees and scribes seize this infraction of the law and challenge Jesus, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" (v. 5).

Jesus doesn't respond with an etiquette lesson or an explanation of personal hygiene. Instead, he calls the Pharisees and scribes what they are: "you hypocrites" (v. 6). Quoting Isaiah, Jesus exposes the condition of the legalists' hearts. They cling to human precepts and put their trust in the traditions of their elders over the commandment of God (v. 8).

Against the Pharisees' narrow, legalistic, and external practices of piety in matters of purification (Mark 7:2-5), external worship (7:6-7), and observance of commandments, Jesus sets in opposition the true moral intent of the divine law (7:8-13).

But he goes beyond contrasting the law and Pharisaic interpretation of it. Mark 7:14-15 in effect sets aside the law itself in respect to clean and unclean food. Jesus' point is well taken -- and most Pharisees would have agreed -- that internal attitude is more important than the externals of the law.

Contemporary Pharisees

Who are the modern-day Pharisees and their followers? The blind modern-day Pharisees and their blind followers are very religious, moral, zealous people. They strive to keep God's law, and they are zealous in their religious duties. They diligently attend Church every Sunday. They are hardworking, outwardly upright citizens. They keep themselves from and preach against moral evil.

In addition to being moral and religious and zealous, modern-day Pharisees and their

followers do not believe that salvation is conditioned on the work of Christ alone; instead,

they believe that salvation is ultimately up to human efforts and what the sinner adds to

Christ's work!

In contrast to the modern-day Pharisees and their followers, true Christians are those who

boast in Christ crucified and no other, meaning that they believe that Christ's work ensured

the salvation of all whom He represented and is the only thing that makes the difference

between salvation and condemnation. They know that their own efforts form absolutely no

part of their acceptance before God. They rest in Christ alone as their only hope, knowing

that it is the work of Christ by the grace of God that guarantees salvation.

Jesus showed that only those who were sinners in need of a healer, who do not have

righteousness in themselves, who are devoid of divine entitlement, who do not deserve to

be in fellowship with God, are the ones He came to call to repentance.

The medicine of mercy

Whenever I hear Jesus' words about legalism in today's Gospel, I cannot help but recall

with gratitude and emotion Pope John XXIII. In his historic, opening address on Oct. 11,

1962, at the beginning of the momentous Second Vatican Council, John XXIII made it

clear that he did not call Vatican II to refute errors or to clarify points of doctrine. The

Church today, he insisted, must employ the "medicine of mercy rather than that of

severity."

The "Good Pope" as he was called, rejected the opinions of those around him who were

"always forecasting disaster." He referred to them as "prophets of gloom" who lacked a

sense of history, which is "the teacher of life." Divine Providence, he declared, was leading

the world into a new and better order of human relations. "And everything, even human

differences, leads to the greater good of the Church."

"Papa Roncalli" was a human being, more concerned with his faithfulness than his image,

more concerned with those around him than with his own desires. With an infectious

warmth and vision, he stressed the relevance of the Church in a rapidly changing society

and made the Church's deepest truths stand out in the modern world. He knew that the

letter of the law without compassion is dehumanizing.       

"Papa Giovanni" was beatified by his successor, John Paul II, in 2000. He was canonized

by Pope Francis in 2014. May he soften the hearts of the modern-day Pharisees and

Sadducees who are alive and well in the Church and world today!

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