Jesus rebukes the Pharisees’ two-facedness

February 9, 2016

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint of the Day: Saint Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr (+249)

Reading 1

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30

22Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the whole community of Israel, and stretching forth his hands toward heaven, 23he said, “LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below;

24you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

27“Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! 28Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day.

29May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place. 30Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel

which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

3My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh

cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

4Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young - Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

5Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. 10O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

11I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia Psalms 119:36, 29

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

Mark 7:1-13

1When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,[1] 2they observed that some of His disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 3(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders.[2]

4And 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.)

5So 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?”[3] 6He 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; 7In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.

8You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” 9He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!

10For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. 11Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God),[4] 12you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. 13You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.” 

---

Notes on readings:

[1] Mark 7:1-23 - See the footnote on Matthew 15:1-20. Against the Pharisees' narrow, legalistic, and external practices of piety in matters of purification (Mark 7:2-5), external worship (Mark 7:6-7), and observance of commandments, Jesus sets in opposition the true moral intent of the divine law (Mark 7:8-13). But he goes beyond contrasting the law and Pharisaic interpretation of it. The parable of Mark 7:14-15 in effect sets aside the law itself in respect to clean and unclean food. He thereby opens the way for unity between Jew and Gentile in the kingdom of God, intimated by Jesus' departure for pagan territory beyond Galilee. For similar contrast see Mark 2;1 - 3:6; 3:20-35; 6:1-6.

[2] Mark 7:3 - Carefully washing their hands: refers to ritual purification.

[3] Mark 7:5 - Tradition of the elders: the body of detailed, unwritten, human laws regarded by the scribes and Pharisees to have the same binding force as that of the Mosaic law; compare with Galatians 1;14.

[4] Mark 7:11 - Qorban: a formula for a gift to God, dedicating the offering to the temple, so that the giver might continue to use it for himself but not give it to others, even needy parents.