Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
The Temple is for People
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
At the dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem, King Solomon prayed to the Lord. He asked God to be always present in the temple for the sake of the covenant; thus, he would be available to people expressing their needs.
After a period of initial fervor, the teaching of the Pharisees began to imply that people were to be sacrificed for the sake of the Temple, that religious traditions (made by people and juridical) were more important than God’s laws, which are supposed to be interior to people and express a personal relationship. Jesus takes them to many tasks for it. For the Temple of the Lord is there for people, not people for the Temple.
Opening Prayer
Father, God of the ever-new covenant,
you have tied us to yourself
with leading strings of lasting love;
the words you speak to us
are spirit and life.
Open our hearts to your words,
that they may touch us
in the deepest of ourselves.
May they move us to serve you
not in a slavish way,
but as your sons and daughters
who love you and whom you have set free
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My 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!
Even 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!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
O God, behold our shield,
and look upon the face of your anointed.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
I 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 Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, that it may not replace the Gospel with rites and laws of human invention, but bring to people the freedom, the gentleness and the light of Christ, we pray:
– For those who are upset by the changes in the Church, that they may learn to appreciate the attempts of God’s people to understand and live our faith in a contemporary way that remains true to the Gospel, we pray:
– For us who share in the Lord’s table, that we may learn from Jesus that love is the heart of the law and that true love knows how to serve, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we bring before you our readiness
to respond to your love.
Strengthen us with the body and blood
of your Son Jesus Christ,
that with him, we may be dedicated to you
with our whole mind and heart,
and that we may be capable
of communicating your love and justice
to all those around us.
Grant this through Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has shared himself with us
in this Eucharistic celebration.
Give us his Spirit of strength, we pray you,
that we may also share in his attitude
of openness to your will
and to the needs of people.
May we thus, fulfill more than the law
and serve you as your sons and daughters,
in whom you recognise Jesus Christ,
Your Son and our Lord forever.
Blessing
As grateful children of God, let us put our hearts in seeking in the commandments, not our will but the will of God, so that we do not ask what God orders us to do but simply how we can respond to his love and show that love to the people around us. May God bless you all: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
Mark 7: 1-13
Observing traditions
In today’s gospel, Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites because they “disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” Pope Francis explains this passage and says, “Today Jesus wants to caution us too, against the belief that outward observance of the commandments is enough to make us good Christians.
Even if we scrupulously observe all the rules and customs but fail to love our neighbours, we are arrogant and proud. We come across people in our communities and our parishes who say they are deeply Catholic, who attend church regularly but neglect their own families, ill-treat others and use uncharitable means to increase their profits.
Pharisaic hypocrisy has survived through the centuries and is evident even in our lives today. How often do we use the Word of God to scare people? Nowadays, many sermons scare the audience of God's impending punishments.
God, in his mercy, forgives us and brings us healing and grace for overcoming sin and evil. Let us ask the Lord to cleanse us with the purifying fire of his Holy Spirit. “Lord, let me dwell in your presence and fill me with the knowledge of yourtruth and goodness. Instruct my heart that I may walk in your way of love and holiness.”
Observing traditions - Youtube
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Pope Francis – Angelus, 30 August 2015
“You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men”
“With these words, Jesus wants to caution us too, today, against the belief, that outward observance of the law is enough to make us good Christians. This is what Jesus condemns because this is a counter-witness to Christianity. After His exhortation, Jesus focuses attention on a deeper aspect and states: “there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him, but the things which come out of a man are what defile him” (v. 15). In this way he emphasises the primacy of interiority, that is, the primacy of the “heart, it is not the external things that make us holy or unholy but the heart, which expresses our intentions, our choices and the will to do all, for the love of God…
Jesus specifically accused the Pharisees and scribes of two things. First, hypocrisy. Like actors, who put on a show, they appear to obey God's word in their external practices while they inwardly harbour evil intentions. The pharisaic hypocrisy has survived through the centuries and is evident even in our lives today. In our attempts to project ourselves as the best disciples of Christ, we belittle the lives of our brothers and sisters.
Secondly, he accused them of abandoning God's word by substituting their own arguments and interpretations for the Word of God. In our attempts to infuse greater faith into our listeners, how often do we use the verse of the Scripture to frighten people? Many sermons and preaching frighten the listeners of the impending punishments of God. We don’t believe in a scary God, but in a forgiving and merciful God. And His mercy does not depend on any conditions.
God in his mercy freely offers us pardon, healing, and grace for overcoming sin and evil in our lives. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). Ask the Lord to cleanse you with the purifying fire of his Holy Spirit.
"Lord, let me dwell in your presence and fill me with the knowledge of your truth and goodness. Instruct my heart that I may walk in your way of love and holiness."
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Mark 7:1-13
A Life Bound to God
Belonging to the Catholic faith is our response to God’s invitation to draw closer to Him. It is not merely a set of practices, but a way of life—a journey back to God. Encountering Jesus changes everything. It transforms us and has the power to touch the lives of those around us. To live our faith is to be continually bound to God, who is the source of all love and hope.
In this relationship with God, rules and norms take on their true meaning. Just as lovers express their love through gestures, so too do we show our love for God through prayer, the sacraments, and devotions like the Rosary. These are not burdens but acts of love that strengthen our bond with Him. Think of marriage: without small acts of love, the relationship can grow distant. The same applies to our relationship with God.
However, we must be cautious not to let religious practices become mere obligations. When structure turns into structuralism, it can suffocate rather than uplift. Religion is meant to lead us to God, not to burden us. The heart of faith lies in speaking openly to God, sharing our joys, struggles, and desires with Him. Structure is good when it guides us, but it must never overshadow the freedom we enjoy as God’s beloved children.