Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: February 6, 2024

Date: Tuesday of 5th Week in Ordinary Time/Memorial of St. Paul Miki & Companions

Scripture Text:  Mark 7:1-13

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 went on to say, "How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said,Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say,'If someone says to father or mother, "Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'(meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel text for today from Mark recounts Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees who questioned the behavior of his disciples, specifically, their non-compliance with man-made rules concerning purification. Jesus responded to their questioning by reciting from the prophet Isaiah, noting the LORD’s message through Isaiah concerning “lip service” rather than faithful service to the LORD. Isaiah’s words speak of “teaching as doctrine human precepts.” Jesus went on to reprimand the Pharisee for “setting aside commandments in favor of “tradition” that was beneficial to them.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I honor the LORD’s two commands: love the LORD with my whole being and love one another as myself? Do I try to rationalize my failure to obey these sacred commands?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, always and everywhere your love flows from You to us. Who are we that You would love us so? Grant that we may open ourselves wholly and truly to your love and allow it to transform our minds and hearts so that we might, as being created in your image and likeness, be loving of You and of one another. Stir within us, remain within us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.