Scripture Reflections for Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

"It was after Jesus had fed the 5000 and before he fed 4000 more, that the Pharisees and the scribes from Jerusalem made their approach to Jesus. Having fed so many with just five loaves of bread and two fish, they would have Jesus answer questions about how some of his disciples ate it! But Jesus did not dismiss them or their concerns. Rather, he shifted the focus from hands defiled to what defiles a..."

Fr. Dermot Morrin. "Not Just our Lips." Torch. August 24, 2021

"It is all so simple. And so true. Our faith, the foundation, the principals, His Word. It really is simple, but we make it complex."

Joseph LaCombe. "Look to His Grace." A Catholic Moment. September 2, 2018

"As children we were told always to wash our hands before meals. Nowadays we’re much more conscious of the need for cleanliness to avoid spreading diseases. Cleanliness is a matter of practical common sense, simple hygiene. Removing the grime was even given a religious spin with the maxim, “cleanliness is next to godliness.”"

Fr. Isidore Clarke. "Cleanliness and Godliness." Torch. August 25, 2015

"Why is religion so important? It is because it puts us in touch with a special revelation from God that we would not otherwise receive. The Jews believed that through their religion they could know the God who had freed them from slavery in Egypt and who had promised them life. God had given them the Law which instructed them how to remain free and not relapse into idolatry. They were proud that God had..."

Fr. David Sanders. "Why True Religion is Irreplaceable." Torch. September 2, 2012

"Some of us like to follow the rules. Today’s readings are about rules and the spirit behind them, and they offer important and challenging lessons."

Dr. Susan Nagele. "Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time." Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. August 29, 2021

"Ritual washing using drinking-water: William Barclay in the ‘daily study bible’ tells the story of an old Jewish rabbi in the Roman prison diagnosed with acute dehydration which would have led to his death. The prison guards insisted that the rabbi had been given his quota of drinking water. So the prison doctor and the officer in charge instructed the guards to watch the rabbi and ascertain what he was doing with his ration of..."

Father Lawrence Obilor. "Called to live in the true spirit of God’s Law." A Catholic Moment. August 29, 2021

"This week we make the shift from John 6 and its Eucharistic theme (which has occupied us for the past five weeks) back to reading through Mark’s account of the ministry of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, we encounter Jesus’ challenging and demanding teaching on the nature of God’s law. It’s commonly thought that Jesus came to make things easier on everyone, and relax the moral laws that the Pharisees kept so rigidly. So the Pharisees..."

John Bergsma. "Jesus the Demanding One." The Sacred Page. August 23, 2021

"Our beautiful opening prayer today embraces the theme running through all the readings: “Almighty God, every good thing comes from you. Fill our hearts with love for you, increase our faith, and by your constant care protect the good you have given us.”"

Sr. Madeline Dorsey, MM. "Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time." Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. September 2, 2018

"I’ve just been visiting my godson, ten years old and a budding composer. He asked me what makes a good piece of music. I said to him you need a good tune (he’s already got one) and – because this is what the experts say – a good structure. People need to hear that good tune develop, and come back. And no harm repeating it a bit."

Fr. Dominic White. "Structured Living." Torch. August 29, 2018

"Every so often it's worth asking ourselves what we mean when we say certain things; and this perhaps all the more so when we are dealing with religious language, or indeed, with the word 'religion' itself which appears in today's second reading from the letter of St James."

Fr. Benjamin Earl. "True Religion." Torch. August 30, 2009

"The Gospel narratives often present Christ in controversy with Jewish religious leaders: the Gospel, the good news, was not always welcome, or accepted. These challenges to Our Lord's teaching and preaching are important, as they can lead to a fresh way of understanding an old teaching, or introduce a new teaching."

Fr. Robert Pollock. "The Spirit of the Law." Torch. September 3, 2006

"Keep the commandments of the Lord your God, just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. Moses urges the people of Israel to take God's commandments to heart. God is offering them a new way of living and a new identity: what great nation is there which has its gods as near as the Lord our God is to us..."

Fr. Aelred Connelly. "Take this to heart." Torch. August 31, 2003