Gospel: Mk 7:1-13
WHEN the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from JeĀrusalem 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 traĀditionally observed, the purificaĀtion of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, āWhy do your disciples not follow the traĀdition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?ā He responded, āWell did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honĀors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard Godās commandment but cling to human tradition.ā He went on to say, āHow 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, āIf someĀone says to father or mother, āAny support you might have had from me is qorbanāā (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.ā
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SOURCE: ā365 Days with the Lord 2017ā ST. PAULS PhilĀippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.