After all, he reverenced God, taught with authority, and healed everyone who came to him. And the more the people wanted to make Jesus their king, the more his enemies wanted to trap and destroy him.
Then came the moment when some of the Pharisees caught Jesus’ disciples eating food with unwashed hands. This violation mattered to many Jews because this good human tradition had taken on significant meaning as a symbol of purity and detachment from the world. In fact, many Jews believed that this human law had a binding force equal to that of the Torah, the Law of Moses.
Jesus answered their accusations by telling them that it is what is on the inside of a person that counts, not what is on the outside.
As we celebrate the Eucharist today, we can be like those Pharisees, often without even realizing it. It is easy to go through the motions at Mass: saying the prayers, standing and kneeling at the appropriate times, singing out loud, receiving communion, and staying until the end. But these outward displays may or may not reveal what is on the inside. For instance, we may be distracted, tired, preoccupied, holding on to some sin, or just attending this tradition because it is the right thing to do.
What does Jesus want us to have on the inside? Love. He wants his love to be the fire in our hearts that moves us to kneel in humble adoration, to sing with joy, to listen attentively to his word, and to greet everyone with a true desire for their peace and well-being.
So while you are at Mass today, look up at Jesus and see how he loves you. See how his body was broken so that you might be made whole. See how he was put to death so that you might have new life. See how he was enslaved so that you might be set free. Meditation on Jesus will lead you to love him in return for all he did for you. What other response could there possibly be?
“Jesus, reduce me to love!”
Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8; Psalm 15:2-5; James 1:17-18,21-22,27