15th Sunday after Pentecost

Faith and religious practice have lost their center in this week’s readings. Quoting Isaiah, Jesus calls into question “This people” that “honors me with their lips” but whose “hearts are far from me” (Mark 7:6). Some in the religious community have begun focusing on surface matters (the washing of hands, what one eats, the traditions of the elders) and have forgotten the core. What really matters is how one’s faith is expressed in mercy, in words and actions that build up rather than tear down the neighbor.

Accompanying Scripture:
Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8,14-23