You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition. (Mk. 7:1-13)

Jesus and His apostles ate their meals unclean, according to tradition. The Pharisees were quick to judge them.  Jesus quickly pointed out that, on the contrary, the Pharisees were disregarding the heart of the law, replacing it with man-made laws and customs, giving the example of how they nullified the commandment to honor one’s father and mother. We also may find it easy to identify the hypocrites among us, those that worry more about a sacramental or a particular rite rather than that to which they point…Jesus.  We might, however, find it harder to identify our own hypocrisy. How often do we compare our hard work in our ministries to that of another or see ourselves as more faithful in one way or another? Let us ask God to help us recognize our own pretenses.