Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 29, 2021
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.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we have become familiar with increased hygienic measures that have become ingrained into our lives. Today’s passage sounds oddly familiar with constant reminders to wash one’s own hands, but we must consider this passage beyond a physical sense. Jesus explains that he is much more concerned about the impurities that come from within our minds and hearts.
As I reflect on this passage, I am reminded that deep down we all have our faults. Jesus details sins in the passage that are just as relevant today as they were long ago. The temptation to sin and its destructive nature are still a part of the human experience.
As a mother, I worry about how these moments of weakness in our hearts can permanently impact my children’s lives. These fears were realized when one of my sons, while socializing with friends, had a serious swimming accident that left him with a broken neck and temporary paralysis. While we dreaded that his condition would be permanent, we never stopped praying that God would bring some positive outcome from this tragedy. Astonishingly, my son recovered from his accident and was walking in the hospital in just two days! Even more amazing was that the surgeon who oversaw my son’s operation came back to his faith after witnessing my son’s miraculous healing.
I share this story because even when we have our moments of weakness, God can help us to become clean of heart once again and allow our lives to be a witness to others. May we open ourselves to God’s healing grace so that we can again make a home for Jesus in our hearts.
Prayer
God, bring our hearts close to you. There is much in this world that makes us feel steady and in control, but we know that ultimately our strength will fail and our grasp on the things in our lives will not stand the test of time. Only you, Lord, are unmoving, solid and sure. And yet, you give us an example that is flexible and open, a witness that loves through thick and thin and will not become calcified or rigid. Soften our hearts to love in that way and bring our hearts close to you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Besides Jesus and Mary, only one other person has a birthday and death-date marked by the Church: John the Baptist. The feast of his birth falls on June 24, but today we celebrate the feast of his death.
The Gospel today recounts how king Herod had John imprisoned because John told Herod he should not have married his brother’s wife. This enraged the king’s wife, and she wanted John killed, but Herod kept him in prison because he liked to hear John speak, even though he found what John said “perplexing.”
On his birthday, a dancer entertained Herod and the court. She danced so beautifully that Herod granted her one wish. His wife influenced her to ask for John’s head. Herod was distressed, but granted the wish and John the Baptist was killed.
John gave his life to the truth, so it is not surprising that he was killed for speaking it. His mission was to conform his life to truth so that when Christ came along, he might recognize and clearly proclaim him. May God give us courage to give our lives to truth as well.
Several relics of John the Baptist rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his beheading is depicted in a stained glass window there.
The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on campus contains an etching from Rembrandt depicting the beheading of John the Baptist, seen above.
St. John the Baptist, you gave your life for truth—pray for us!
Image Credit: Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606 - 1669), Beheading of John the Baptist, 1640, Etching and drypoint on laid paper. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack F. Feddersen, 1991.025.060.