22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 (JB)

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy

You may add nothing to the word which I speak to you – keep the commands of the Lord.

Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but 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. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Deuteronomy

Moses spoke to the people; he said:

“So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances

that I am teaching you to observe,

so that you may live to enter and occupy the land

that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.

You must neither add anything to what I command you

nor take away anything from it,

but keep the commandments of the Lord your God

with which I am charging you.

“You must observe them diligently,

for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples,

who, when they hear all these statutes, will say,

‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’

For what other great nation has a god so near to it

as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him?

And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances

as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 14:2-5 (JB)

R. The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?

He who walks without fault;

he who acts with justice

and speaks the truth from his heart. R.

He who does no wrong to his brother,

who casts no slur on his neighbour,

who holds the godless in disdain,

but honours those who fear the Lord. R.

He who keeps his pledge, come what may;

who takes no interest on a loan

and accepts no bribes against the innocent.

Such a man will stand firm for ever. R.

James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St James

Be doers of the word.

It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created.

Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of James

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift,

is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,

with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In fulfilment of his own purpose

he gave us birth by the word of truth,

so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Welcome with meekness

the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word,

and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father; is this:

to care for orphans and widows in their distress,

and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

James 1:18 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Father gave us birth by his message of truth,

that we might be as the first fruit of his creation.

Alleluia!

James 1:18 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Father gave us birth by his message of truth,

that we might be as the first fruit of his creation.

Alleluia!

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

You forget the commandments of God and hold on to human tradition.

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours me only with lip-service,

while their hearts are far from me.

The worship they offer me is worthless,

the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’

He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these things come from within and make a man unclean.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Mark

When the Pharisees and some of the scribes

who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,

they noticed that some of his disciples

were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,

do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands,

thus observing the tradition of the elders;

and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it;

and there are also many other traditions that they observe,

the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.

So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him,

“Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders,

but eat with defiled hands?”

Jesus said to them,

“Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites,

as it is written,

‘This people honours me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

Then Jesus called the crowd again and said to them,

“Listen to me, all of you, and understand:

there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile,

but the things that come out are what defile.

“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 evil things come from within,

and they defile a person.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.