9 February 2011 Wednesday of the 5th week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 2: 4-17; Psalm 104; Mark 7: 14-23
Catholics have abandoned diet restrictions for religious reasons. Pork that was associated with pagan rituals in the Old Testament has been allowed for us for many centuries, while some religions have maintained it. The conversion of many people from different races and culture has petered down any uniform rule on what not to eat. The Gospel tells us why.
Jesus said that what defiles us is not what comes into our mouths, but what is in our hearts. Pork or blood from different animals considered unclean will not make us unworthy of worship. Genesis in the first reading tells us that everything God made is good. Every single creation is meant to nurture life.
We are challenged by the Lord today to look into the very roots of our sinful patterns. He challenges us to discover how our inordinate attachments to people, career, status, needs, desires, or material things lead us to sin. Our unexamined interior life contributes to the undesirable aspects of our character. Eventually they affect the very relationships that matter. Including the bond we have with God.
As Kingfishers Catch Fire 