First Reading (Dt 4:1-2, 6-8).
Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy.
Moses spoke to the people, saying: “Now, Israel, listen to the laws and decrees that I am teaching you to observe, so that by doing them you may live and enter into the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. Do not add to or take away from the word that I am speaking to you, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you. You must observe them and do them, for in them is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations, so that when they hear all these laws they may say, ‘Surely this great nation is wise and understanding!’ For what great nation is there whose gods are as close to them as the Lord our God is whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there that has laws and decrees as righteous as this law that I am setting before your eyes today?”
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Second Reading (James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27).
Reading from the Letter of Saint James.
Beloved brothers and sisters: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. He willingly gave us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Receive with humility the word that has been implanted in you, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
At that time, the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the Law came from Jerusalem and gathered around Jesus. They saw that some of his disciples were eating bread with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. In fact, the Pharisees and all the Jews eat only after washing their hands thoroughly, following the tradition received from the elders. When they return from the marketplace, they do not eat without washing. And they follow many other customs that they have received by tradition, such as the correct way to wash cups, jars and copper vessels. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law then asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” Jesus answered, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is worthless, for their doctrines are human precepts.’ You have abandoned the commandment of God and followed the traditions of men.” Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to this, all of you, and understand: Nothing that enters a person from outside can defile them, but what comes out of them. For from within, out of the human heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
— The Word of the Savior.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
Refletindo a Palavra de Deus
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine a compass. A simple yet powerful instrument, capable of guiding travelers across vast oceans and dense forests. Now imagine that compass with its needle spinning frantically, unable to find true north. What use would it be? Today’s readings invite us to reflect on our own moral and spiritual compass, challenging us to examine whether we are truly aligned with God’s will or whether we are lost in a sea of empty traditions and hypocrisy.
In the first reading, Moses addresses the people of Israel at the gates of the Promised Land. His words resonate with urgency and importance: “Now, O Israel, listen to the laws and decrees that I am teaching you to observe, so that by doing them you may live and enter in to possess the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.”
Moses is not simply handing down a set of arbitrary rules. He is offering a path to life, a map to blessing. He emphasizes that these laws and decrees are a gift from God, a manifestation of His wisdom and love. “You shall not add to what I command you, nor take away from it,” Moses warns. Why? Because God’s law is perfect, complete in itself. Any human addition risks distorting its beauty and purpose.
Moses goes further, emphasizing that obedience to these laws is not only for the benefit of Israel, but a witness to the nations: “What great nation is there whose gods are so near to them as the Lord our God is whenever we call upon him?” Israel’s faithfulness to God’s law was to be a beacon of wisdom and righteousness to the world. Turning to the letter of James, we find an echo of this call to faithfulness, but with an emphasis on action. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,” James exhorts. It is not enough to know God’s law; we must live it. James offers us a powerful and practical definition of true religion: “Pure religion and undefiled before God our Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” What a striking contrast to a religiosity based solely on external rituals or legalistic observances! This passage challenges us to examine our own practice of faith. Are we simply accumulating religious knowledge, or are we allowing God’s Word to transform our actions and attitudes? Is our faith manifested in practical compassion for those in need and in a life of integrity?
It is against this backdrop that we come to the Gospel, where Jesus directly confronts the danger of empty religiosity. The Pharisees and some scribes criticize Jesus’ disciples for eating with unclean hands, without performing the ritual of washing. At first glance, this might seem like a legitimate concern for ritual purity. But Jesus sees beyond the surface and exposes the heart of the problem.
Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus declares: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They serve me in vain, for their teachings are human precepts.” What a damning indictment! Jesus is denouncing a religion of appearances, where outward rituals have replaced true devotion of the heart.
Jesus goes further, explaining that it is not what goes into a person that makes him unclean, but what comes out of him. From the human heart, Jesus says, come evil thoughts, immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. This is a radical reversal of the traditional understanding of purity and impurity. Jesus is calling us to a transformation of the heart, not just an outward conformity to rules and rituals. So what do these readings mean for us today? First, we are called to examine our own religious practice. Are we, like the Pharisees, more concerned with the outward appearance of godliness than with the inward transformation of the heart? Do our traditions and practices bring us closer to God and others, or have they become barriers to true communion? Second, we are challenged to see God’s law not as a heavy burden but as a precious gift. The laws and decrees God gives us are not arbitrary restrictions but a pathway to abundant life. They are like the compass I mentioned at the beginning—designed to guide us toward the true north of a life aligned with God’s will.
Third, we are called to action. James reminds us that faith without works is dead. Our devotion to God must manifest itself in practical compassion for those in need and in a life of integrity. How are we caring for “orphans and widows” in our community? How are we keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world”?
Finally, Jesus’ words invite us to do some deep heart-searching. What kind of fruit are growing from within us? Are we cultivating thoughts, attitudes, and actions that reflect the character of Christ, or are we allowing roots of bitterness, selfishness, and evil to grow in our hearts?
My dear brothers and sisters, today we are called to realign our spiritual compass. To turn our hearts toward God with sincerity and devotion. To embrace His law not as a set of external rules but as a way of life and blessing. To practice a faith that manifests itself in active love and compassion for others.
May we, by God’s grace, be not just hearers but doers of the Word. May our religion not be lip service but heart worship. May our lives be a living testimony to God’s wisdom and love, a beacon of hope and compassion in a world that so desperately needs it.
And may the God of all grace, who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ, after we have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
