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Reasons to Do (and Say) the Right Things
User's Guide to Sunday
BY Tom and April Hoopes
August 23-September 5, 2009 Issue |
Posted 8/14/09 at 10:36 AM
Aug. 30 is
the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). Sept. 6 is the 23rd Sunday in
Ordinary Time.
Papal
On Sept. 6, Pope Benedict makes a
pastoral visit to Viterbo and Bagnoregio, ancient Italian cities north of Rome.
Family
Sept. 7 is Labor Day, and Sept. 8 is
Mary’s birthday. Why not make a cake at your Labor Day gathering and have the
kids sing “Happy Birthday” to Mary? Mary is, of course, our Mother, too —
because she’s the Mother of Christ, our brother; the Mother of the Church,
which we make up; and she was designated our Mother at the crucifixion.
Important family members deserve a birthday cake, right?
Aug. 30 Readings
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalms
15:2-5; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Our Take
In today’s first reading, Moses
tries to motivate the people to follow the commandments.
He gives these reasons: “That you may live, and may enter in and take
possession of the land.” Then he adds another — “for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations.”
These
all seem like pretty selfish reasons: to live, to get land, and to look smart.
But
they’re not. They are centered on the community, not the self. He’s asking
individuals to follow the Law not for themselves, but for the nation.
The
Gospel gives us an example of what happens when the motivation behind a moral
code becomes self-centered instead of community-centered.
The
Pharisees have created lots of permutations of the law, lists of what makes one
unclean, complicated rituals, rules that are about the individual’s membership
in the community. Jesus informs them:
“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
And
lo and behold, the Pharisees don’t have what Moses used to motivate: They
aren’t living as fully as they could; they don’t have possession of the Holy
Land, and other nations aren’t particularly im--pressed with them. Quite the
contrary, Jesus uses their moral code as an example of what not to do.
St.
James shows the way out: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and
the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to
keep oneself unstained by the world.”
To
keep yourself unstained by the world, Christ provides a handy list of what to
avoid.
Sept. 6 Readings
Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146:7-10; James
2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37
Our Take
Today’s
Gospel is a good template for what happens to us when we’re converted to a
commitment to Christ — or reconverted, or recommitted, or even just reminded of
our commitment.
First
of all, it isn’t our doing. It’s Christ’s. He touches us; he looks to heaven;
he groans; he commands our ears: “Be opened!” The movement to Christ isn’t us
exerting effort — this Gospel shows Jesus exerting the effort.
Secondly,
he loosens not just our ears to hear him, but our tongues to speak about it. He
gives us the ability to speak about him, then he sets the terms. In today’s
Gospel, the terms are strict: Don’t tell anyone. The instructions he gave to us
are also strict: Teach the nations my commandments.
The
third stage of our reconversion is the first that involves our own action — we
should tell others about him. In the Gospel, the people can’t help but tell
about what he has done: “They were exceedingly astonished.”
We
need to be exceedingly astonished.
We
need the enthusiasm of Isaiah, who can barely contain himself when sharing what
the Lord plans to do: “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong;
fear not! Here is your God; he comes with vindication; with divine recompense,
he comes to save you.”
Who
will reassure the frightened people in our day?
Tom Hoopes, former Register executive editor, is writer
in residence at Benedictine College. He and his wife, April, are contributors
to Faith & Family magazine.
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