“Wanted: A Pure Heart” by Colleen O’Sullivan

“Wanted:  A Pure Heart” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.  Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.  From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.  All these evils come from within and they defile.” (Mark 7:14-15, 21-23)

Piety

Lord, help me to be more concerned with what lies within my heart than with ticking off a checklist of actions that make me look good on the outside.

Study

Once again, the Pharisees and Jesus have been having a go-round, this time over Jesus’ disciples eating without first purifying themselves by means of Jewish handwashing rituals.  The irony of the situation is that both the Pharisees and their nemesis, this itinerant preacher from Nazareth, are pursuing the same end.  They all desire to be pure in God’s eyes.  They simply don’t agree on how to do that.

Admit it.  Life would be so much easier if the Pharisees had it right.  They saw themselves as the guardians of the Law as well as the numerous traditions and observances that, over the years, had become attached to the Law and elevated to the same level of importance.  There were rules about avoiding certain foods, washing in a prescribed manner, following strict prohibitions against certain activities on the Sabbath, etc.  There was a rule for every situation, it seemed.  And the Pharisees believed that if you followed all these rules and customs to the letter, you would be pure.  Wouldn’t it be great if all we had to do was comply with a list of external prescriptions and prohibitions?  We’re generally fairly good at following rules.  When everything is all spelled out, there’s not much discerning or personal responsibility required.  

Then Jesus comes along and turns the Pharisees’ thinking on its head.  He says it isn’t external things that render us pure or impure.  It isn’t what goes into us from the outside; it’s what comes from within us, from our hearts, that determines what God sees when God looks at us.  It’s relatively easy to do what’s expected of us on the outside, to look “good” in the sight of others.  However, think about going to Mass as an example.  We can be there in body every Sunday and Holy Day, but, at the same time, not be there in spirit at all.  I know I am guilty of becoming distracted from time to time and mentally organizing my week or silently composing a grocery list during the homily.  We can fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, abstain from eating meat on the Fridays in Lent, etc., and, at the same time, be walking around with hearts of stone, merely checking things off our Lenten to do lists.  Jesus gives the disciples a long list of the things he knows come from within us that keep us from being pure.   Looking at the list reminds me that it’s so much more difficult to have inner attitudes that are full of love for God and our brothers and sisters than to follow a set of rules about how to outwardly conduct ourselves. 

Action

In the book of the prophet Ezekiel, God makes us a promise:  "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26).  When you are praying today, picture God looking into your heart.  What does God see there? 

Ask God to remove whatever hardens your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to work within you to fill your heart with love for God and all of God’s children.  May our actions reflect the purity of our loving hearts.