22nd Sunday of Ordinary times (B) Tradition of Cleaning (Mk 7: 1-23)

Cleanse your SELF

Introduction

-          The Jews were particular about the cleansing the body. Why they were so particular about that? First of all they were travelling and living in a deserted place. So cleansing from the dust must be very important from them. It became a tradition and then a law.

-          We use alcohol to cleanse our hands and it is a habit that we carry small bottles of spirit with us while we travel.

-          Jesus is much concerned with internal purity than external. 

Content

-          According to Jesus if you are internal self/being is pure you would produce good fruits. If it is bad it would produce the fruits such as – evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly (Mk 7: 21).

-          (Mt 7: 18) – ‘The good tree produces good fruit and bad tree produces bad fruits’. Therefore, washing does not make a fruit good or bad, but the tree.

-          We are plants that are planted in God’s garden through the sacrament of baptism and we are supposed to produce good fruits.

-          Unlike the real trees that do not have a chance to improve, we are given chances to improve ourselves – trees, so that our fruits would be good.

-          How can we become good trees or improve ourselves?

o   Observance of the commandments.

§  10 commandment.

§  5 commandments of catholic church

1.      To keep Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, by attending Mass and resting from servile work.

2.      Go to confession at least once a year.

3.      To receive the Blessed Sacrament at least once a year at Easter time.

4.      To keep days of fasting and abstinence as regulated by the Church

a.       Fasting – ash Wednesday and good Friday

b.      Abstinence from meat on all the Friday’s of Lent and good Friday.

5.      To contribute to the support the church.

o   Prayer life

§  Sacramental life

§  Personal prayers

·         Vocal prayer

·         Mental prayer

o   Disciplined life

§  Avoid a lazy life style.

§  Senses’ discipline must be observed.

o   Practicing virtues like faith, hope and charity

§  Through these virtues we grow into holiness. 

Conclusion

-          We are called to be people with internal purity. By obeying the commandments, by our prayer life, by our disciplined way of life, and practice of virtues let us cleanse ourselves.

-          Let us be the trees that produce good fruits always.