Mk 7,1-13

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace: I will beg God our Lord that all my intentions and actions may be directed purely to the praise and service of His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: see hand washing

Ask for the fruit of meditation: for the purity of my intentions in my everyday life

1. Pure intension.

a. The ritual of washing hands before a meal was not about hygiene, but about sanctity. The external attitude was to testify to the depth of faith. Jesus, however, shows that gestures and religious attitudes can be very far away from what is inside a person, what is happening in human heart. External signs should be the fruit of what is inside. It should flow from the desire to be in a relationship of love with Jesus, with others. Take a look again for your inner intentions: why do you do something or not, why do you say something or do not say why do you write something or do not write, why do you pray or do not pray …

b. Read slowly the beginning ask for the Grace one more time.

2.     Corban

a. Corban means the vow of the destiny of a given thing for God, and as a result this thing could no longer be the subject of normal use (see the New Testament for moderators, OW Vocatio Warsaw, 2010, page 103). If the son wanted to sacrifice his property as a corban for the temple, so that he no longer had the resources to support his older parents, he became relieved of this commitment. It is a perverse action to avoid responsibility to escape difficulties of everyday life. What is your corban? Why?

b. Escape from everyday life does not allow for real encounter with God. He comes in the ordinariness of our lives. He gives you the grace of everyday life. Notice it: what is the grace? Thank you for it.   

Meditation: St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)