Homily: Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time
Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Mk 7:14-23) “Do the Right Thing”
The teaching Jesus proposed to the Jews was truly revolutionary. He seemed to dismiss Jewish dietary law. The Jews had a whole list of things that a person could eat that would defile a person. They also had rules for cleaning the utensils used for food. Truly they believed that what a person ate could contaminate them.
Jesus stressed that evil comes out of a person. It is not put into a person. He offers a list of attitudes that would produce evil. The first quality was evil designs. Every outward act begins with inward choices. We have all felt temptation in our life. Do we give into it or do we resist it. This is our choice.
All this sounds strange in the world in which we live. We seem to dismiss moral responsibility for numerous reasons. When someone does something wrong, we hear about extenuating circumstances that cause them to act the way they do. We analyze their family background. We study the genes they carry. Something physical must cause the person to act in an immoral way. The person who makes the wrong choice does not seem to have free will. Somehow it sounds like the argument religious people were making at the time Jesus lived.
Another argument that we hear today when someone acts in an unethical way is that it is someone else’s fault. Few people say, “I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway.” This choice makes actions sinful.
Our religious belief tells us that we are not helpless in the face of temptation. We are not all victims all the time. At times there are extenuating circumstances that make it hard to make virtuous choices but not all the time.
The are all kinds of examples we could point to where people choose to do the right thing at great personal cost. Christians believe we can act in an unselfish way. This happens because of the commitment we have to Christ.
Reflection Questions:
Do people have a choice about how they act? What motivates good behavior?
Have I ever been tempted to act in an unethical way? What stopped me?
Dear Parishioners,
This Saturday 40 children of our parish will be making their first reconciliation. Most of these children are seven years old. Why do we choose this age? We do it because we say a child has reached the age of reason. They can tell right from wrong.
Please pray for these children on this important day for them. This will truly be a community celebration. We appreciate your prayers for some of our youngest parishioners.
May Our Lady pray for us,
Fr. Mark