Daily Readings - Sun Sep 01 2024

¹"And now, O Israel, listen to the precepts and judgments which I am teaching to you, so that, by doing these, you may live, and you may enter and possess the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, will give to you²You shall not add to the word which I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it. Preserve the commandments of the Lord your God which I am teaching to you⁶And you shall observe and fulfill these in practice. For this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, so that, upon hearing all these precepts, they may say: ‘Lo, a wise and understanding people, a great nation.⁷Neither is there any other nation so great, which has its gods so near to them, as our God is present to all our petitions⁸For what other nation is there so renowned as to have ceremonies, and just judgments, and the entire law that I will set forth today before your eyes

James

Chapter 1

¹⁷Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration¹⁸For by his own will he produced us through the Word of truth, so that we might be a kind of beginning among his creatures²¹Because of this, having cast away all uncleanness and an abundance of malice, receive with meekness the newly-grafted Word, which is able to save your souls²²So be doers of the Word, and not listeners only, deceiving yourselves²⁷This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age

Mark

Chapter 7

¹And the Pharisees and some of the scribes, arriving from Jerusalem, gathered together before him²And when they had seen certain ones from his disciples eating bread with common hands, that is, with unwashed hands, they disparaged them³For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat without repeatedly washing their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders⁴And when returning from the market, unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other things which have been handed down to them to observe: the washings of cups, and pitchers, and bronze containers, and beds⁵And so the Pharisees and the scribes questioned him: "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but they eat bread with common hands?⁶But in response, he said to them: "So well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, just as it has been written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me⁷And in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and precepts of men.⁸For abandoning the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men, to the washing of pitchers and cups. And you do many other things similar to these.¹⁴And again, calling the crowd to him, he said to them: "Listen to me, all of you, and understand¹⁵There is nothing from outside a man which, by entering into him, is able to defile him. But the things which proceed from a man, these are what pollute a man²¹For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders²²thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness²³All these evils proceed from within and pollute a man.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are reminded of the importance of living a life rooted in genuine faith and true devotion to God. The first reading from Deuteronomy emphasizes the need to follow God’s commandments as a way of life, not just a set of rules. Moses urges the Israelites to observe these teachings carefully, for they are the source of wisdom and understanding. The second reading from James reinforces this idea, reminding us that every good gift comes from God and that we must be “doers of the Word, not listeners only.” James also highlights the importance of caring for the vulnerable and keeping ourselves pure in a world often tainted by sin. In the Gospel, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes, who are more concerned with outward traditions than the purity of the heart. He quotes Isaiah to point out their hypocrisy, saying that they honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Jesus then teaches the crowd that it is not what enters from outside that defiles a person, but rather the evil thoughts and actions that come from within. This teaching challenges us to examine our own hearts and lives, ensuring that our faith is not just about external practices but about a deep, inner transformation. These readings call us to reflect on our own lives and ensure that our faith is authentic and lived out in love and compassion. Let us not be like the Pharisees, focused on outward appearances, but instead, let us cultivate hearts that are pure, humble, and surrendered to God. May we strive to be doers of the Word, living in a way that reflects the wisdom and love of God in all we do.