Meaning and Intention

Gospel: Mark 7: 1-13

Why do we do the things we do? We have all sorts of unconscious rituals - some are personal, others are communal.  Most of the time we are not even aware of these things until our routine is upset or someone comes along to question our practices.  Then we are forced to confront them and develop some internal intention and motivation around them.

This dynamic is present in today's Gospel.  Here Jesus questions the Pharisees on their practice of purification rituals because the Pharisees in turn question Jesus as to why he and his disciples do not practice them.  If these rituals are tied to an internal motivation to purify our hearts and minds, these can be good practices.  But if they are merely ends in themselves that only promote our self-righteousness, then they are not healthy.

Consider the Christian use of holy water to bless ourselves.  Its original intention was a daily reminder of our baptism and recommitment to our baptismal vows, similar to the Jewish practice of the Shema.  However, most Christians are not conscious of this and it has become a superstitious practice or more bizarre practices.  Today let us consider our own individual and communal rituals and consider their meaning and our intention in using them.  If they move us closer to God and others, if they make us more loving and merciful, then we keep them.