The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live as humans created as “very good”, who identify and correct the hypocrisy and chaos that limits our life and love.
The reading from the Book of Genesis is an Account of the Creation.
* [1:1–2:3] This section, from the Priestly source, functions as an introduction, as ancient stories of the origin of the world (cosmogonies) often did. It introduces the primordial story (2:4–11:26), the stories of the ancestors (11:27–50:26), and indeed the whole Pentateuch. The chapter highlights the goodness of creation and the divine desire that human beings share in that goodness. God brings an orderly universe out of primordial chaos merely by uttering a word. In the literary structure of six days, the creation events in the first three days are related to those in the second three.
The seventh day, on which God rests, the climax of the account, falls outside the six-day structure. (Genesis, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 8 praises Divine Majesty and Human Dignity.
* [Psalm 8] While marvelling at the limitless grandeur of God (Ps 8:2–3), the psalmist is struck first by the smallness of human beings in creation (Ps 8:4–5), and then by the royal dignity and power that God has graciously bestowed upon them (Ps 8:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus addresses the Tradition of the Elders.
* [7:1–23] See note on Mt 15:1–20. Against the Pharisees’ narrow, legalistic, and external practices of piety in matters of purification (Mk 7:2–5), external worship (Mk 7:6–7), and observance of commandments, Jesus sets in opposition the true moral intent of the divine law (Mk 7:8–13). But he goes beyond contrasting the law and Pharisaic interpretation of it. The parable of Mk 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 Mk 2:1–3:6; 3:20–35; 6:1–6.
* [7:3] Carefully washing their hands: refers to ritual purification.
* [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; cf. Gal 1:14.
* [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. (Mark, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)
Vivian Amu asks “How often do we rely on religious, cultural, or social traditions without truly understanding their significance and how they affect what God has created?”
In this ordinary time, may we embrace the extraordinary potential of each day, renewing our commitment to live with intention, care, and mindfulness. May we find ourselves not just existing but living with intention, reverence, and an ever-renewing commitment to the sacred in our midst. In the busyness of our daily lives, being mindful of the delight and goodness of creation allows us to be intentional about grounding our practices and rituals in love and compassion. Being mindful of how we participate in creation allows us to care for the world we have been gifted. It also allows us to care for those we encounter and the purity of our interior spiritual lives.
Loving and compassionate God, help us seek to develop a spirituality that is alive, relevant, and grounded in love, so we may nurture our relationship with all that has been created for Your greater glory. Amen. (Amu, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Mammon refuses to provide for parents in old age,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"Christ says, 'Care for the poor' (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:13); Mammon says, 'Take away even those things the poor possess.' Christ says, 'Empty yourself of what you have' (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23); Mammon says, 'Take also what they possess.' Do you see the opposition, the strife between them? See how it is that one cannot obey both, but must reject one?... Christ says, 'None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions' (Luke 14:33); Mammon says, 'Take the bread from the hungry.' Christ says, 'Cover the naked' (Matthew 25:34-40; Isaiah 58:7); the other says, 'Strip the naked.' Christ says, 'You shall not turn away from your own family (Isaiah 58:7), and those of your own house' (1 Timothy 5:8; Galatians 6:10); Mammon says, 'You shall not show mercy to those of your own family. Though you see your mother or your father in want, despise them' (Mark 7:11)." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS 6.25) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 7:1-13 asks How can we love everyone all the time? There are times when we can barely tolerate members of our family, let alone the stranger next door or the coworker who gets on our nerves. How can we avoid the temptation to find excuses and work-arounds that free us from the command to love?
It’s right there, in the center, that Jesus sees the love he has placed in you. He sees your desire to please him. He sees the goodness and purity that God created you with. And what he sees pierces his heart with love. With joy. With compassion. It’s this gaze that can melt our hearts and teach us to love as he does—simply, mercifully, and equally.
“Jesus, teach me to love.” (Meditation on Mark 7:1-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the Priestly account of creation from Genesis and the movement toward humans being created in an expression of the superlative degree. The responsibility intended from humanity with dominion and the assertion of the Sabbath rest to advance reflection over production are messages very relevant today. Friar Jude reminds us that we follow Jesus when we take hypocrisy out of our spiritual life.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces translator of the mystics and spiritual guide Mirabai Starr, who shares her definition of mystical experience. Starr explores how receiving divine love through mystical experience strengthens the mystic’s commitment to others.
Mystical experiences brim from all kinds of moments in any given day. This is not a rarefied, specialized, meritocracy-based reality; it’s not about some belief that I’m espousing or buying into. It’s not even necessarily about a practice that I’m engaged in, although there are some practices that are fairly reliable for opening the heart. A mystical experience is an experience of the heart opening—out of that open heart flows the parts of us that are often in the way of a direct experience of the divine and into that open heart flows grace, that sacred substance, that mercifully helps me forget for a moment that I am separate. (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder the poetry of the creation passage from Genesis and resolve to counter chaos and examine the hypocrisy in our practices prompted by Jesus Way.
References
Amu, V. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/021125.html
Genesis, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/1?20
Mark, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/7?1
Meditation on Mark 7:1-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/02/11/1201959/
Psalms, PSALM 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/8?4
Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Mystic’s Heart. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-mystics-heart/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Rejecting the Commandments of God. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=feb11
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