Reflection for February 8, Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 7:14-23

Gospel: Mark 7:14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 

When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

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Reflection:

Do we discern the voice of the Lord when it speaks to us? 

When Jesus said, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” The disciples were asking Him about the meaning of His statement. As if they were saying, Come again Lord, we do not understand what you’ve said. And perhaps in exasperation Jesus said, “Are even you likewise without understanding? 

In our walk with the Lord there would be times that we will not understand also the things that are happening in our lives. For example, we might ask the Lord, Why is this happening to me Lord? I don’t get your message; I don’t understand the reason of this event/s in my life. 

Why is it that we don’t understand? Because we don’t listen carefully to Him or we may listen but our attention is focused on something else. If only we would learn to carefully listen to the Lord and if only we would try to live to the fullest His teaching. 

But how are we going to listen to the Lord? We have to consistently go to Holy Mass. We also have to consistently read the bible which more often than not is not being read. We also have to be humble for the reason that humility is the key for us to discern the voice of the Lord.     

Then, we would know and we would understand that everything that happens in our life is for a good reason. We would discern that Jesus has a purpose why we are going through this and that trial. – Marino J. Dasmarinas