A profound homily on Mark 7: 1-13 that calls us to lead an authentic life with a congruence between our words and actions…(17- 08 -25)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
One day the Pope was praying in his private Chapel. His secretary got an important message to convey to Pope. He approached him and reminded him without any disturbing his prayer. But Pope replied:” If it is such an important matter, then I must pray even more”. This is none other than St. John Paul II. He not only preached the importance of prayer but truly lived it. And he does not act anything but practised it authentically. Today’s gospel reminds of the authenticity with the contradicting life of Pharisees.
“These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”. (Mk 7:6). When Jesus is telling this verse, it actually seems as a paradox! Honour is actually a verb that stands with a positive note, but here Jesus points to a contradicting fact. Again, the heart is something so precious and is an organ that is essential part of the body that cannot be separated. But here the even it is physically present actually it is far. We can see an ability of Jesus in observing the people beyond the external manifestations of their human nature. Let us explore both these expressions …
Honour is something that goes beyond words. When we just limit it in words, it is not a true representation of honour but just a show off. Words act like masks for our real attitudes, but it won’t be long-lasting as there is a higher chance of losing it. Jesus does not seek honour. He always asked and was keen in honouring others. “He even But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person” (Jn 2:24). Lips can generate evil and good. It depends on each person. St. Peter says: “For he who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit”(1 Pt 3:10). So being genuine matters than being generative.
Heart symbolises the great love and affection to a person. Pure heart can see God (Mt.5:8). In today’s passage the Pharisees are present with their heart but really it is far away, they see God with their eyes, but cannot experience him. Even they beautified themselves outside Jesus read their hearts. I Samuel 16:7 states: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart”. How can one keep away one’s heart? But it happens! St. Antony once commented at a funeral of a rich man that his heart is there in the money box. Everybody mocked at him. When the surgeon opened the body, he could not find the heart and later found it among the wealth. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”(Mt.6:21). Even the physical distancing may never happen always, the mental distancing is one of the labels of present gen of busy people.
While internalising the message, it takes us into deeper examination of conscience. As Shakespeare wrote, “Life is a stage and we are merely players”. During this play we may wear mask at times. The children may appear good before parents hiding themselves, Spouses may influence each other to merely appear good before others, Parents may fail to practice what they insist their children, Religious may lose love in their devotion.
Even we appear good before others and fail to prove good before God, remember life is an utter failure. But even if I am noticed by anybody but faithful to God it is worth. So, let us listen what we hear, speak what we do, and do what we speak. As Jawaharlal Nehru advised his daughter Indira Gandhi that do not do anything in private that you do not wish to do in public….Let us be authentic in our life…
Jesus , Transform me to an authentic person.
