Good News Reflection FOR NEXT SUNDAY: August 30, 2009

Good News Reflection
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: August 30, 2009
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

Parish bulletins, faith-sharing groups, RCIA:
For professionally published, printable copies of this reflection,
please go to Catholic Digital Resources:
http://catholicdr.com/calendar/August/22ndB.htm - Preview a sample

Next Sunday's Readings:
Deut 4:1-2, 6-8
Ps 15:2-5
James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
http://www.usccb.org/nab/083009.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_08_30.mp3

In the Gospel reading next Sunday, Jesus chastises the Pharisees for honoring God only with their lips while their hearts were far from him; love was missing from their analysis of whether or not Jesus and his disciples had sinned by disobeying a Jewish rule about cleanliness.

The rule was more important to them then the person. They had the self-righteous attitude of: "I know better than you, and I am better than you, proven by the fact that I obey the laws that you're breaking."

Obedience, when motivated by a love for rules and regulations, is hypocrisy. It's full of self-righteous arrogance that uses the law to make us feel superior to others. We witness this today, for example, when someone clubs a priest with the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which prescribes the norms for Mass) because he makes adaptations based on guidelines that an untrained lay person might interpret as inflexible rules.

When this happens, "in vain do they worship me," Jesus says. The meaning of the Mass has been lost.

There is a hierarchy of rules and laws. Some rules change with the needs of the times. Of greatest importance are the Commandments of God, the Moral Laws, which never change. All of them are supposed to help us on our journey to heaven.

It is right to speak up when we witness disobedience, and we should do it, but only because we care about the sinner's spiritual growth and only when we can handle it without ignoring or overlooking the reasons behind the disobedience. We are most successful in guiding others into greater holiness when we take the time to first understand the roots of their disobedience and then address those concerns with love.

This is how we become, as the second reading says, "doers of the word and not hearers only", because, as James adds, "pure" religion is caring for others. The Pharisees in the Gospel story didn't care about the hunger of the disciples.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
How do you know when you're being hypocritical in your faith? How do you handle the discovery that you've done something uncaring?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
Give an example of a Moral Law and an example of a regulation that was instituted by the Church to address a specific need for a specific time. How do they differ in importance? Name one of the 10 Commandments or a teaching of the Church and explain how it became an opportunity for you to become more like Christ.

STARTING ON MONDAY, if you're a member of the "Emmaus Journey" e-group, share your answers by writing to EmmausJourney@gnm.org
* To join and become a member, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/GNMcommunities/EmmausJourney/

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica
For PERMISSION to copy any of my reflections, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND?
To sign up for your own subscription, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections


Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?
Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...
Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

______________________________________________________________
This is the "Good News Reflections - Early Edition" mailing list.
MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION:
Change your address
Unsubscribe