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August 26, 2021Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time—August 29, 2021
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5; James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
There are many today who consider themselves ‘spiritual but not religious.’ Particularly in these days when our Church is replete with division and scandal, it is important for us to focus on the difference between the two. Jesus shows us exactly that in His dialogue with the Pharisees, the religious leaders who, in their hard heartedness, were focused on urging compliance with the approximately 613 laws of the Jewish religion. In contrast, Jesus was a spiritual leader focused on the disposition of the heart of His followers. While all religions establish their rules, it is important for us to look at those shared by the Lord, because He intended them to be prescriptions for a joyful life. The Pharisees sought to control through rules of religion. Jesus sought to free us with the gift of faith. As faithful Catholics we are called to build a “religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father [which] is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Those who eschew religion often do so to avoid having to be accountable for their own soul, much less the most vulnerable. Yet we can take comfort in knowing both our faith and our religion call us to actively engage in loving God above all else, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and to spread the Good News that God sent His only Son into this world to suffer and die so that we might have access to eternal life. The letter of St. James (1:22) clearly and directly reminds us that we are not only to be ‘hearers of the Word’ but also ‘doers of the Word.’ Jesus further instructs us that that as we hear the Word and try to live it out, we do so with purity of heart. We are called to walk humbly with God in His service and not to merely feel good about ourselves or draw attention to ourselves as the Pharisees were known to do. In order to do so we are called to protect the purity of our heart and soul. We cannot say that we are followers of Christ if we do not strive to be imitators of Christ. We should not be like the Pharisees who talked a good game yet remained hard of heart. Our decision to follow Christ is meant to soften our hearts and transform our lives. Is it difficult to be Christ-like in all of our daily interactions? Absolutely! Yet if we choose to serve the Lord we must ask for the graces of strength and wisdom—graces we will need to grow closer to Christ. Fortunately, as His lay apostles, Catholics have the Bread of Life available to sustain us, inspire us, encourage us and strengthen us to share Christ with others as well as the forgiving graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation to lift us up when we fall short.
Let us strive to be both spiritual and religious with pure hearts.
For further reflection on purity of heart, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2514-2533.- How pure is my love for God? Do I sometimes honor Him with my words yet place limits on how much of my life I am willing to turn over to Him?
- What do I need to do to better protect the purity of my own heart? What might I do to help to influence and protect the purity of the hearts of my children, grandchildren and the young of our parish? What graces might I seek in prayer and from the Sacraments to help me to grow in purity of heart?
- How might I better imitate Christ and be a cheerful and loving ‘doer of the Word’ in my spiritual life? In my home? In the parish? In the community?
