Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 331
Lectionary: 331
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| 1KGS 10:1-10 |
The queen of Sheba,
having heard of Solomon’s fame,
came to test him with subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue,
and with camels bearing spices,
a large amount of gold, and precious stones.
She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject
in which she was interested.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about,
and there remained nothing hidden from him
that he could not explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom,
the palace he had built, the food at his table,
the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters,
his banquet service,
and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD,
she was breathless.
“The report I heard in my country
about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king.
“Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes,
I have discovered that they were not telling me the half.
Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.
Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours,
who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD, your God,
whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel.
In his enduring love for Israel,
the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents,
a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones.
Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices
as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
came to test him with subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue,
and with camels bearing spices,
a large amount of gold, and precious stones.
She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject
in which she was interested.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about,
and there remained nothing hidden from him
that he could not explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom,
the palace he had built, the food at his table,
the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters,
his banquet service,
and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD,
she was breathless.
“The report I heard in my country
about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king.
“Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes,
I have discovered that they were not telling me the half.
Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.
Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours,
who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD, your God,
whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel.
In his enduring love for Israel,
the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents,
a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones.
Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices
as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
Responsorial Psalm PS 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Gospel MK 7:14-23
Jesus 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.”
When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
“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.”
When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Meditation: "Out of the heart come evil
thoughts"
Where does evil come from and can we eliminate it from our
personal lives? Jesus deals with this issue in response to the religious
leaders' concern with ritual defilement – making oneself unfit to offer
acceptable worship and sacrifice to God. The religious leaders were very
concerned with avoiding ritual defilement, some no doubt out of reverent fear
of God, and others because they wanted to be seen as observant Jews. Jesus
points his listeners to the source of true defilement – evil desires which come
from inside a person's innermost being. Sin does not just happen from external
forces. It first springs from the innermost recesses of our thoughts and
intentions, from the secret desires which only the individual mind and heart
can conceive.
When Cain became jealous of his brother Abel, God warned him to
guard his own heart: "Sin is couching at the door; it's desire is
for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Cain
unfortunately did not take God's warning to heart. He allowed his jealousy to
grow into spite and hatred for his brother, and he began to look for an
opportunity to eliminate his brother alltogether. When jealously and other
sinful desires come knocking at the door of your heart, how do you respond? Do
you entertain them and allow them to overtake you? Fortunately God does not
leave us alone in our struggle with hurtful desires and sinful tendencies. He
gives us the grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin when it
couches at the door of our heart.
The Lord wants to set us free from the burden of guilt and from
the destructive force of sin in our personal lives. He wants to purify our
hearts and renew our minds so we can love and act in every situation as he
would love and act. The Lord is ready to change and purify our hearts through
the grace and help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Like a physician
who probes the wound before treating it, God through his Word and Spirit first
brings sin into the light that we may recognize it for what it truly is and
call upon his mercy and grace for pardon and healing. The Spirit of truth is
our Consoler and Helper. His power and grace enables us to choose what is good
and to reject what is evil. Do you believe in the power of God's love to heal,
change, and transform your heart and mind?
"Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and make my
heart like yours. Strengthen my heart, mind, and my will that I may freely
choose to love what is good and to reject what is evil."
 The Kingdom Within |
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Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time
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Mark 7:14-23
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."
When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the
parable. He said to them, "Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside
cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out
into the latrine?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) "But what
comes out of a person, that is what defiles. 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."
Introductory Prayer:Lord, I
believe that you are my Creator and Redeemer and that you know all things.
Though none of my sins are hidden from you, I know that you still love me
unconditionally and are waiting for me to repent and turn to you so that you
can forgive me and wash me clean once more. Thank you for loving me
infinitely. I offer you my weak love in return.
Petition: Lord,
help me to overcome my fallen nature and to put you first in my life.
1. “Nothing that goes into a man from the
outside can make him unclean.” “The Kingdom of God,” as Christ
tells us in the Gospel, “is within you.” Consequently, all that wars against
the Kingdom is also within us. Number 405 of the Catechism of the Catholic
Church tells us that original sin is a “deprivation of original holiness and
justice.” It states that human nature has been “wounded in the natural powers
proper to it,” and that it is subject to “ignorance, suffering and the
dominion of death; and inclined to sin – an inclination to evil that is
called ‘concupiscence.’” This concupiscence causes all sorts of disordered
tendencies to surface from within us. These disordered tendencies—if
accepted—are, as our Lord tells us, what defiles a man. Our holiness and
purification must start from within (in ordering our thoughts and desires
according to the Gospel standard), and rise to the surface in concrete deeds
of goodness (in words and actions). Where does concupiscence do the most
damage in my life?
2. “It is the things that come out of a man that make him
unclean." Sin and death entered the world through the disobedience
of the Adam. But, “if death came to reign through that one, how much more
will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of
justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ”
(Romans 5:15). It is true that death and sin strive to reign in us due to our
concupiscence, but it is not less true that we have at our disposal all the
means necessary to root sin out from our hearts and live a new life in
Christ. Christ has already conquered sin and death. With his grace we can
conquer them within our hearts. Without ever looking back we must start out
on this path, the path of the reign of Christ within us. Am I sincerely
striving to overcome concupiscence in my life?
3. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him
listen to this.” “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” This is
a familiar theme in the Liturgy due to the fact that throughout the centuries,
people have often closed their hearts to the message of the Gospel and to
their own greatest good. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke
16:19-31), the rich man petitions Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead so
that he can warn his brothers about the fate that awaits them due to their
materialistic, self-centered way of life. The rich man is told that they have
the Law and the Prophets, to which he replies that if only someone would
return from the dead, the brothers would believe. He is told that even then
people would not believe. I cannot permit my heart to be hardened against
God’s saving Word! But to remain open, my heart needs to be detached from the
pleasures and easy way of living that make me deaf to Christ’s gentle
instructions.
Conversation with Christ: Lord,
open my ears and lift the veil from my eyes so that I will allow your Kingdom
to reign in my heart. Free me from loving anything more than you. Free me to
allow you to make demands in my life, demands which are proof of your love.
Help me, Lord, to live Christian charity so that I will not be caught off
guard on the Day of Judgment.
Resolution: I will
foster goodness in my thoughts and desires, and I will deny entrance to
anything that would drive Jesus away.
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12,
MARK 7:14-23
(1 Kings 10:1-10; Psalm 37)
KEY VERSE: "Do you realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile" (v 18).
(1 Kings 10:1-10; Psalm 37)
KEY VERSE: "Do you realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile" (v 18).
READING: The biblical concept of "clean" and "unclean" had to do with one's worthiness before God. Most of the regulations were related to the mysteries of life and death, areas that were considered to be under God's domain. Since food was necessary to sustain life, one's diet and hygiene were also regulated. Jesus criticized the scrupulous observance of these rites without authentic faith. External objects in themselves did not defile a person; it was the impurity of one's intentions. Moral defilement was the only thing that makes one "unclean." By setting aside these regulations, Jesus opened the door of unity with so-called "unclean" Gentiles, a challenge that the early Church later faced (Acts 11:17-18).
REFLECTING: Is there anyone whom I consider "unclean" because of their race, religion, culture or lifestyle?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, make my heart pure so I can serve you and my neighbor.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Respect All Life
In giving human beings dominion over creation, God has charged each
of us with protecting its many creatures—both human and nonhuman. How will we
respond?
The mouths of the just murmur wisdom
‘It is from within, from people’s hearts, that evil intentions
emerge.’It is a story as old as Cain and Abel. How can a family, a city, a country, produce such radically different people? A city has those who exploit the poor and those who advocate for and assist them. It has those who demonise asylum seekers and those who support and help them. It has rich people who ruthlessly accumulate wealth, and those who use their money to assist those in need. A country may have war criminals, people they hounded and those who risked their lives to shelter the oppressed. The scary part is that appearances can be deceptive. Jesus, help me to reflect on my thoughts and desires. Help me discern the actions of the good spirit, who leads me to you, and those of the evil spirit who would take me away.
February
12
St. Apollonia
(d. 249)
St. Apollonia
(d. 249)
The persecution of Christians began in Alexandria during the reign
of the Emperor Philip. The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named
Metrius, who was tortured and then stoned to death. The second person who
refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta. Her
words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned.
While
most of the Christians were fleeing the city, abandoning all their worldly
possessions, an old deaconess, Apollonia, was seized. The crowds beat her,
knocking out all of her teeth. Then they lit a large fire and threatened to
throw her in it if she did not curse her God. She begged them to wait a moment,
acting as if she was considering their requests. Instead, she jumped willingly
into the flames and so suffered martyrdom.
There
were many churches and altars dedicated to her. Apollonia is the patroness of
dentists, and people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases often
ask her intercession. She is pictured with a pair of pincers holding a tooth or
with a golden tooth suspended from her necklace. St. Augustine explained her
voluntary martyrdom as a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit, since no one
is allowed to cause his or her own death.
Comment:
The Church has quite a sense of humor! Apollonia is honored as the patron saint of dentists, but this woman who had her teeth extracted without anesthetic surely ought to be the patron of those who dread the chair. She might also be the patron of the aging, for she attained glory in her old age, standing firm before her persecutors even as her fellow Christians fled the city. However we choose to honor her, she remains a model of courage for us.
The Church has quite a sense of humor! Apollonia is honored as the patron saint of dentists, but this woman who had her teeth extracted without anesthetic surely ought to be the patron of those who dread the chair. She might also be the patron of the aging, for she attained glory in her old age, standing firm before her persecutors even as her fellow Christians fled the city. However we choose to honor her, she remains a model of courage for us.
Patron Saint of:
Dentists
Toothache
Dentists
Toothache
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 7,14-23
Lectio:
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
1) Opening prayer
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 7,14-23
Jesus called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'
When he had gone into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, 'Even you -- don't you understand? Can't you see that nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean, because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach and passes into the sewer?' (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.)
And he went on, 'It is what comes out of someone that makes that person unclean. For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today is the continuation of the themes on which we meditated yesterday. Jesus helps the people and the disciples to understand better the significance of purity before God. For centuries, the Jews, in order not to contract impurity, observed many norms and customs bound to food, to drink, to the dress, to hygiene of the body, to contact with persons of other races and religions, etc. (Mk 7, 3-4), for them it was forbidden to have contact with pagans and to eat with them. In the years 70’s the time of Mark, some converted Jews said: “Now that we are Christians we have to abandon these ancient customs which separate us from converted pagans!” But others thought that they had to continue with the observance of these laws of purity (cf. Col 2, 16.20-22). The attitude of Jesus, described in today’s Gospel, helps us to overcome this problem.
• Mark 7, 14-16: Jesus opens a new way to try to get people closer to God. He says to the crowds: “Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean” (Mk 7, 15). Jesus overturns things: what is impure does not come from outside to the inside, as the Doctors of the law taught, but what comes from inside to the outside. Thus, nobody ever needed to ask himself if this or that food is pure or impure. Jesus places what is pure and impure on another level, not on the level of ethic behaviour. He opens a new way to reach God, and in this way realizes the most profound design of the people. .
• Mark 7, 17-23: In the house, the disciples asked for an explanation. The disciples did not understand well what Jesus wanted to say with that affirmation. When they reached the house, they ask for an explanation. The question of the disciples surprises Jesus. He thought that they had understood the parable. In the explanation to the disciples he goes to the very bottom of the question of impurity. He declares that all food is pure! That is, no food which from outside enters into the human being can make him become impure, because it does not go to the heart, but to the stomach and ends in the septic tank. But what makes one become impure, says Jesus, is what comes out from within the heart to poison human relationships. And then he enumerates some: prostitution, murder, adultery, ambition, theft, etc. Thus in many ways, by means of the word, of the life together, of living close by; Jesus helps persons to attain purity in another way. By means of the word he purified the lepers (Mk 1, 40-44), cast out unclean spirits (Mk 1, 26.39; 3, 15.22 etc), and overcame death which was the source of all impurity. But thanks to Jesus who touches her, the woman excluded and considered impure is cured (Mk 5, 25-34). Without fear of being contaminated, Jesus eats together with persons who were considered impure (Mk 2, 15-17).
• The laws of purity at the time of Jesus. The people of that time were concerned very much about purity. The laws and the norms of purity indicated the necessary conditions to be able to place oneself before God and to feel well in his presence. One could not get before God just in any way, because God is holy. The Law said: “Be holy because I am holy!” (Lv 19, 2). One who was not pure could not get close to God to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. The laws of what was pure and impure (Lv 11 to 16) were written after the time of slavery in Babylonia, toward the year 800 after the Exodus, but had its origin in the ancient mentality and customs of the people of the Bible. A religious and mystical vision of the world led people to appreciate things, the persons and the animals, beginning from the category of purity (Gn 7, 2; Dt 14, 13-21; Nm 12, 10-15; Dt 24, 8-9).
In the context of the Persian domination, the V and IV centuries before Christ, before the difficulties to reconstruct the Temple of Jerusalem and for the survival of the clergy, the priests who governed the people of the Bible increased the laws relative to poverty and obliged the people to offer sacrifices of purification for sin. Thus after child birth (Lv 12, 1-8), menstruation (Lv 15, 19-24) the cure of a haemorrhage (Lv 15, 25-30), women had to offer sacrifices to recover purity. Lepers (Lv 13) or people who had contact with impure things or animals (Lv 5, 1-13) they also had to offer sacrifices. Part of this offering remained for the priests (Lv 5, 13).
At the time of Jesus, to touch a leper, to eat with a tax collector or publican, to eat without washing the hands, and so many other activities, etc. everything rendered the person impure, and any contact with this person contaminated the others. For this reason, it was necessary to avoid “impure” persons. People lived with fear, always threatened by so many impure things which threatened life. They were obliged to live without trust, not trusting any thing or anybody. Now, all of a sudden, everything changes! Through faith in Jesus, it was possible to have purity and to feel well before God without being it necessary to observe all those laws and those norms of the “Ancient Tradition”. It was liberation! The Good News announced by Jesus took away all fear from the people, and they no longer had to be all the time in a defensive situation, and he gives them back the desire to live, and the joy of being children of God, without the fear of being happy!
4) Personal questions
• In your life, are there any traditions which you consider sacred and others which you do not? Which ones? Why?
• In the name of the Tradition of the Ancients, the Pharisees forgot the Commandment of Jesus. Does this also happen today? Where and when? Does it also happen in my life?
5) Concluding prayer
The upright have Yahweh for their Saviour,
their refuge in times of trouble;
Yahweh helps them and rescues them,
he will rescue them from the wicked,
and save them because they take refuge in him. (Ps 37,39-40)
Father,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 7,14-23
Jesus called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'
When he had gone into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, 'Even you -- don't you understand? Can't you see that nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean, because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach and passes into the sewer?' (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.)
And he went on, 'It is what comes out of someone that makes that person unclean. For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today is the continuation of the themes on which we meditated yesterday. Jesus helps the people and the disciples to understand better the significance of purity before God. For centuries, the Jews, in order not to contract impurity, observed many norms and customs bound to food, to drink, to the dress, to hygiene of the body, to contact with persons of other races and religions, etc. (Mk 7, 3-4), for them it was forbidden to have contact with pagans and to eat with them. In the years 70’s the time of Mark, some converted Jews said: “Now that we are Christians we have to abandon these ancient customs which separate us from converted pagans!” But others thought that they had to continue with the observance of these laws of purity (cf. Col 2, 16.20-22). The attitude of Jesus, described in today’s Gospel, helps us to overcome this problem.
• Mark 7, 14-16: Jesus opens a new way to try to get people closer to God. He says to the crowds: “Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean” (Mk 7, 15). Jesus overturns things: what is impure does not come from outside to the inside, as the Doctors of the law taught, but what comes from inside to the outside. Thus, nobody ever needed to ask himself if this or that food is pure or impure. Jesus places what is pure and impure on another level, not on the level of ethic behaviour. He opens a new way to reach God, and in this way realizes the most profound design of the people. .
• Mark 7, 17-23: In the house, the disciples asked for an explanation. The disciples did not understand well what Jesus wanted to say with that affirmation. When they reached the house, they ask for an explanation. The question of the disciples surprises Jesus. He thought that they had understood the parable. In the explanation to the disciples he goes to the very bottom of the question of impurity. He declares that all food is pure! That is, no food which from outside enters into the human being can make him become impure, because it does not go to the heart, but to the stomach and ends in the septic tank. But what makes one become impure, says Jesus, is what comes out from within the heart to poison human relationships. And then he enumerates some: prostitution, murder, adultery, ambition, theft, etc. Thus in many ways, by means of the word, of the life together, of living close by; Jesus helps persons to attain purity in another way. By means of the word he purified the lepers (Mk 1, 40-44), cast out unclean spirits (Mk 1, 26.39; 3, 15.22 etc), and overcame death which was the source of all impurity. But thanks to Jesus who touches her, the woman excluded and considered impure is cured (Mk 5, 25-34). Without fear of being contaminated, Jesus eats together with persons who were considered impure (Mk 2, 15-17).
• The laws of purity at the time of Jesus. The people of that time were concerned very much about purity. The laws and the norms of purity indicated the necessary conditions to be able to place oneself before God and to feel well in his presence. One could not get before God just in any way, because God is holy. The Law said: “Be holy because I am holy!” (Lv 19, 2). One who was not pure could not get close to God to receive the blessings promised to Abraham. The laws of what was pure and impure (Lv 11 to 16) were written after the time of slavery in Babylonia, toward the year 800 after the Exodus, but had its origin in the ancient mentality and customs of the people of the Bible. A religious and mystical vision of the world led people to appreciate things, the persons and the animals, beginning from the category of purity (Gn 7, 2; Dt 14, 13-21; Nm 12, 10-15; Dt 24, 8-9).
In the context of the Persian domination, the V and IV centuries before Christ, before the difficulties to reconstruct the Temple of Jerusalem and for the survival of the clergy, the priests who governed the people of the Bible increased the laws relative to poverty and obliged the people to offer sacrifices of purification for sin. Thus after child birth (Lv 12, 1-8), menstruation (Lv 15, 19-24) the cure of a haemorrhage (Lv 15, 25-30), women had to offer sacrifices to recover purity. Lepers (Lv 13) or people who had contact with impure things or animals (Lv 5, 1-13) they also had to offer sacrifices. Part of this offering remained for the priests (Lv 5, 13).
At the time of Jesus, to touch a leper, to eat with a tax collector or publican, to eat without washing the hands, and so many other activities, etc. everything rendered the person impure, and any contact with this person contaminated the others. For this reason, it was necessary to avoid “impure” persons. People lived with fear, always threatened by so many impure things which threatened life. They were obliged to live without trust, not trusting any thing or anybody. Now, all of a sudden, everything changes! Through faith in Jesus, it was possible to have purity and to feel well before God without being it necessary to observe all those laws and those norms of the “Ancient Tradition”. It was liberation! The Good News announced by Jesus took away all fear from the people, and they no longer had to be all the time in a defensive situation, and he gives them back the desire to live, and the joy of being children of God, without the fear of being happy!
4) Personal questions
• In your life, are there any traditions which you consider sacred and others which you do not? Which ones? Why?
• In the name of the Tradition of the Ancients, the Pharisees forgot the Commandment of Jesus. Does this also happen today? Where and when? Does it also happen in my life?
5) Concluding prayer
The upright have Yahweh for their Saviour,
their refuge in times of trouble;
Yahweh helps them and rescues them,
he will rescue them from the wicked,
and save them because they take refuge in him. (Ps 37,39-40)
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