*** 1st Reading ***

Genesis 1:20-2:4a*

(……) God said, “Let us make man in our image,

To our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild an­imals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground.” So God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

 God said, “I have given you every seed-bearing plant which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with seed. It will be for your food. To every wild animal, to every bird of the sky, to everything that creeps along the ground, to everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food.” So it was.

 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. There was eve­ning and there was morning: the sixth day. That was the way the sky and earth were created and all their vast array. By the seventh day the work God had done was completed, and he rested.(……)

 

Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.

 

**** Gospel ****

Mark 7:1-13

 One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem.   They noticed that some of his dis­ciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.   

Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they fol­low the tradition received from their ancestors.  Nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates.

 So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?”   Jesus answered, “You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This peo­ple honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

 The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules.   You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.”  And Jesus commented, “You have a fine way of dis­regarding the commandment of God in order to implant your own tradition.  

For example, Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and: Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.   But according to you someone could say to his father or mother: ‘I already declared Corban, which means “offered to God,” what you could have expected from me.’

 In this case, you no longer let him do anything for a father or mother.  So you nullify the word of God through the tradition you have handed on. And you do many other things like that.”

 

Gospel Reflection

In order to be bad, you need not break the law. All you have to do is follow it to the letter. That’s what happened to the Pharisees. They have studied and memorized the law, so much so that they can go around it and skirt it without even breaking it.

Thus the real battle ground for good and evil is not in our external acts but inside our heart that decides. So Jesus reminds the religious authorities that day to mind their hearts before preoccupying themselves with external acts. For when their heart is pure, all actions emanating from it is good.