Martin McNamara, MSC
B. Reflection & Dialogue with Questions of the Day: Purity of heart and discretion in speech. A message for believers, for political rulers and others.
The message of today’s readings is for believers and others in public life.
The message of the Gospel reading is first and foremost for Jesus’ disciples. It is to them that the Sermon in Luke’s presentation of it was first directed. Jesus laid great stress on the purity of heart. According to one of the Beattudes in Matthew’s Gospel he said: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God”.
Mark 7:20-23.
“And he said to them, ‘It is not what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these things come from within, and they defile ail things come from within, and they defile a person’.
