Beloved in Christ,
"This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mk 7:6). Jesus accuses the Pharisees of religious hypocrisy, which occurs when lips and hearts don't align. In this Sunday's Gospel, the pharisees' emphasis on the tradition of their ancestors opposes the heart of the religious rite of hand washing. What is at the heart of the rite of hand washing before a meal? It is more than a healthy hygiene practice; it points to cleansing the heart of the impurities of sin. It is hypocrisy to appear outwardly righteous when the heart is rotten.
The word hypocrite is borrowed from the Greek word "hupokrites." The Greek word does not directly mean hypocrite as we know it today. It is a word for an actor. The new meaning we draw from the Greek word came from how stage acting was carried out in ancient Greek drama. At this point in the development of thespian art, the "chorus" says the words while the actor demonstrates the meaning by wearing a mask representing the subject of the action. In other words, the actor puts on a mask and pretends to be someone he is not. Jesus condemns this disconnect between the outward religious piety and the interior.
Using the example of a religious dietary act from Leviticus chapters 11 to 15 about clean and unclean food, Jesus shows that it is more important to let the interior disposition, the heart of the person carrying out the religious act, be in tandem with the external manifestation. What is going on in the heart determines the reality or validity of the external religious righteousness on display. We may fool humans, but we cannot fool God, who can see the spirit behind our religious acts, the state of the heart behind the appearance of our religious practice. Jesus stresses the importance of the heart in the worship and deeds of a Christian. Highlighting the necessity of religious action marching with interior disposition is why Jesus found the words of Prophet Isaiah of practical and rhetorical importance: "This people honors me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me." He says their worship and teachings are worthless because they place their human tradition above the commandments of God. The point of Jesus' teaching today is: Don't be a hypocrite. Let us always remember, the heart is the true center of our worship.
Today is designated as a World Day of Prayer for the care of creation. God has entrusted creation in all its beauty to us. Let us take care of it and protect it, Pope Francis implored.
Labor Day brings the summer to a close. You are invited to Mass at 9 a.m. in the historic church to celebrate the dignity of human labor and pray for our students and teachers for a safe and successful school year.
Remember to attend our monthly Eucharistic Adoration this Monday at 6 p.m. We must follow up the Eucharistic Revival and a four-week catechesis on the Mass by coming together as a parish family to worship the Living Jesus in the Sacred Host.
In His Heart,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
"This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mk 7:6). Jesus accuses the Pharisees of religious hypocrisy, which occurs when lips and hearts don't align. In this Sunday's Gospel, the pharisees' emphasis on the tradition of their ancestors opposes the heart of the religious rite of hand washing. What is at the heart of the rite of hand washing before a meal? It is more than a healthy hygiene practice; it points to cleansing the heart of the impurities of sin. It is hypocrisy to appear outwardly righteous when the heart is rotten.
The word hypocrite is borrowed from the Greek word "hupokrites." The Greek word does not directly mean hypocrite as we know it today. It is a word for an actor. The new meaning we draw from the Greek word came from how stage acting was carried out in ancient Greek drama. At this point in the development of thespian art, the "chorus" says the words while the actor demonstrates the meaning by wearing a mask representing the subject of the action. In other words, the actor puts on a mask and pretends to be someone he is not. Jesus condemns this disconnect between the outward religious piety and the interior.
Using the example of a religious dietary act from Leviticus chapters 11 to 15 about clean and unclean food, Jesus shows that it is more important to let the interior disposition, the heart of the person carrying out the religious act, be in tandem with the external manifestation. What is going on in the heart determines the reality or validity of the external religious righteousness on display. We may fool humans, but we cannot fool God, who can see the spirit behind our religious acts, the state of the heart behind the appearance of our religious practice. Jesus stresses the importance of the heart in the worship and deeds of a Christian. Highlighting the necessity of religious action marching with interior disposition is why Jesus found the words of Prophet Isaiah of practical and rhetorical importance: "This people honors me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me." He says their worship and teachings are worthless because they place their human tradition above the commandments of God. The point of Jesus' teaching today is: Don't be a hypocrite. Let us always remember, the heart is the true center of our worship.
Today is designated as a World Day of Prayer for the care of creation. God has entrusted creation in all its beauty to us. Let us take care of it and protect it, Pope Francis implored.
Labor Day brings the summer to a close. You are invited to Mass at 9 a.m. in the historic church to celebrate the dignity of human labor and pray for our students and teachers for a safe and successful school year.
Remember to attend our monthly Eucharistic Adoration this Monday at 6 p.m. We must follow up the Eucharistic Revival and a four-week catechesis on the Mass by coming together as a parish family to worship the Living Jesus in the Sacred Host.
In His Heart,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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