22nd Sunday, Cups, Kettles, Beds vs Clean Heart

 

In the Gospel today, St. Mark tells us that the Jews, and especially the Pharisees, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders. The Pharisees and scribes question Jesus, they said, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but instead eat a meal without unclean hands.”

Our Blessed Lord responds stating, “You disregard God’s commandments, but cling to human tradition.” The traditions, which the Jews and Pharisees were following, were human traditions. These traditions invented by man were treated, as though they were doctrines. And if anyone didn’t follow the human traditions, it would be considered sinful.

The washing of the hands and purifications were not simply done to keep the body clean, but also symbolized moral purity. Purity of heart was a condition one needed before approaching God, and taking part in worshipping Him.

Back then, the Pharisees had not gotten beyond the external level, and even added more external things, while neglecting cleanness of heart of which all the external purifications were only a symbol. They were failing to keep God’s commandments, all the while, exteriorly making themselves clean, which was to be symbolic of a pure heart, which they did not have.

Jesus responds to their question stating, “You hypocrites, “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He states, “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, un-chastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

In another words, Jesus told the Pharisees, that even though the scribes and Pharisees washed their hands, cleaned bowls, and did the purifications, their hearts were unclean. It is more important to have a clean heart, than clean hands and cleans bowls.

An unclean heart is a heart filled with sin, such as, un-chastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.

Today, in order for us to have a pure heart, we need to keep God’s commandments, to avoid all sin, and to practice virtue. If we fail, which all of us do, we have the sacrament of confession to wash away our sins, which makes our heart pure.

We keep God’s commandments, when we honor our father and mother, keep the Lord’s Day Holy, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, don’t commit adultery, don’t lie, don’t covet our neighbor’s goods or wife, don’t steal, don’t place false gods such as money and power before God, don’t miss Mass on Sunday, or don’t kill anyone.

Most can say, they do well keeping God’s commandments. But do we avoid other sins, such as looking lustfully at someone, gossiping, anger, un-forgiveness, judging others, being rude, or selfish, or impatient?

Do we practice virtue as well as we ought: eating and drinking moderately, denying our self excessive pleasure, practicing patience, or avoiding speech which offends others. Do we attempt to practice humility or detachment from worldly things? Do we try to grow in faith, in hope, and in love of God and neighbor?

All of us can easily fail, in so many ways, but that’s why Jesus gave us the sacrament of confession. As we approach confession the words of David’s psalm, can echo in our heart, “Have mercy on me O God in our goodness. In the greatness of your compassion, wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me of my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. A clean heart, create for me O God! And a steadfast spirit renew within me.”

This psalm helps us to understand the power and the mercy of God in the sacrament of confession. Out of compassion- Our Lord wipes out our offense. He thoroughly washes our guilt away, and cleanses us of our sins, that we may be purified. We are washed in His blood that our souls may be whiter than snow. He creates within us a clean heart and renews a steadfast spirit within us.

If we bathed once or twice a year, we wouldn’t smell very good would we? The more often we go to confession, the more our soul is bathed and cleansed. Monthly confession or confession once a week is a good way for us to keep our heart and our soul nice and pure.

In addition to confession, every time we come into the church, we dip our fingers in Holy Water asking God to wash away our sins, to make our soul pure, like at our baptism. At the beginning of Mass, we call to mind our sins, and make an act of contrition, and ask the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the angels and saints to pray for us to the Lord Our God.

The Church especially desires the priest to have a pure heart. Before Mass, he puts on a white alb, to remind him of the purity he is to seek. When he places the alb on, he prays, “Purify me Lord, and cleanse my heart, so that, washed in the blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss,” And at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest washes his hands in a bowl of water, and prays to himself, “Lord, wash away my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. The priestly heart is to impeccable, because his hands offer the Most Pure Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar.

At the Mass, the priest is to prepare himself and the congregation to approach God and worship Him in the Eucharist with a pure heart. And the exterior practices we do are to symbolize the purity of heart, we hope to obtain.

As we now prepare to approach our Eucharistic Lord, let us resolve to imitate Our Blessed Mother, Virgin most pure. May we come to confession at least once month, or perhaps weekly, strive to keep God’s commandments, avoid sin, and practice virtue in order, that we may approach our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion, with a pure and humble heart, a heart He will not spurn.