Labor Day brings new beginnings....

Labor Day brings new beginnings....

Every human being likes to be respected, not for any accomplishment, but because we are created in the  image and likeness of God. Labor Day is the day we can be proud of what we do, and respect others for their great service. Pope Francis pointed out, "Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one's family, to contribute to the growth of one's own nation."

After Labor Day, schools are open, it seems like we are more active and society is more engaged and busy. It is an opportunity for us to pray for each one of us, our labor, whatever field we are engaged in. It is also a special moment to pray for our children and youth, those who are going back to school and college. That’s their labor, studying well prepares them for the future. Let us pray for them, their families, and        teachers. Soon we will be starting our faith formation program and in a special way we pray for catechists and families on Catechetical Sunday, September 15.

Twenty second Sunday, all four readings bring different dimensions of the same message. The first reading is an exhortation by Moses to keep the law that God gave them, that Israel may live in the land as a wise   people. The Responsorial Psalm talks about the virtue to enter into the Temple – the one who does the   justice, and cares for the neighbor. The second reading emphasizes the obedience of the divine law by doing it not just hearing it. In the Gospel Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for the observance of human custom rather than divine law.

The first reading takes us back to 13 centuries before Christ. Israelites are on the way to the Promised Land, but Moses is still with them. God told Moses at Meribah that because he struck the rock because of lack of confidence in God, he would not enter the Promised Land. They are getting closer to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land and so he had some last words instructing and encouraging God’s people and he wants them to prosper. He reminded them that their prosperity is only if they keep God’s law. In St. James’ words, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves” (1:22).

We are back to the Gospel of Mark from John. We see in the reading, the Pharisees are scandalized that Christ’s disciples “took food with unclean hands" (Mk 7.2). This isn't just a question of hygiene, right, there is something more going on here. The Pharisees were a sect within Judaism that made one of their goals to live according to the holiness of the Temple in their daily lives. They manufactured religious customs and added them to Mosaic Law. Numbers 9, for example, talks about some of these ritual washings.

The first thing to note is that Jesus does not teach at all to disobey the law. He teaches to give more      importance to the dispositions of the heart rather than to the superficial gestures and rites. On one hand, Jesus invites us to follow the Commandments and on the other hand, He shows that "purity" is not a matter of washed hands or lips purified by rituals, but is a matter of the heart. The Pharisees wrongly elevated the human tradition to the God given law.

The question is how we prepare the heart to God. St Bede the Venerable says, We approach God "with the frequent purification of alms, tears and the other fruits of justice that make the heart and the body pure in order to participate in the mysteries of heaven." Jesus came to tell us that no law, big or small, has meaning if it is not accompanied by love and if it is not consumed in love. Every time we gather for the Eucharist, we encounter Jesus who offered himself for us and won eternal life for us. From every Mass we are sent out to follow in his footsteps, to break and share our life. It is not easy, but let us persevere and get into a healthy addiction.

Cardinal Tagle said at the National Eucharistic Congress that at every Mass we are sent out to be the Flesh and Blood of Christ. We are sent out to be a gift to each other. Jesus came to be a gift to us. Jesus shares with us every time we gather to celebrate Eucharist. Then we are sent out to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves” (1:22).

Last couple of weeks I mentioned “Walk With One.” It is an invitation to think about one person/family whom each of us would like to have to celebrate Eucharist with us. Then pray for that individual or family for a while. Eventually befriend them. Once friendship grows and shares faith with them and invites them to celebrate faith with us. When I say invite them, I assume you know when you invite a non catholic, they need to go to RCIA to prepare to receive the Sacraments. This is also one way of being a gift to the other.