Speedy Gonzalez Mass

Loving each other while we have each other

2/08/2022

Mk 7:1-13 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

The easiest thing for people to do is pass judgment on others. We do it so often and so effortlessly we don’t even know we’re doing it. It has become second-nature. For example, Catholics love to pass judgment on priests at Mass. You may think: I don’t like Father So-and-so because his Mass is slow and it takes too long. I like the priest with the Speedy Gonzalez Mass. A friend said he watches carefully how I purify the paten (the small gold plate) after Communion and noticed I always wipe it three times. Maybe he was suggesting I could do it with one swipe? When I was a little boy I used to think a good priest was one who could spin his chalice really fast when he cleaned it. The older I get, the slower I spin my chalice, and I’m sure some little Catholic boy thinks I’m a pretty poor priest.

By the way, did you know we priests are not exempt from this propensity to pass judgment? Priests also watch you, the people, during Mass from the other side of the altar. And we have our opinions about your behavior, too. We think in our minds: Oh, there’s that person who always arrives late for Mass. Or, there goes that guy who always leaves right after Communion. Then, of course, there are those who always fall asleep during the homily, no matter what we say or who is preaching. Billy Graham would put them to sleep. The homily is time for their 5 to 7 minute power nap. Or, we think: look at how so-and-so is dressed, don’t they know they are in church and not in a night club?

But maybe instead of passing judgment we should just be pleased to see each other. The people should be pleased to see the priest because there is no one else who can give them the Eucharist. And we priests should be pleased to see the people who are hungry for the Bread of Life. Priests have these great culinary skills for Holy Communion, but how sad if no one came to the Banquet. So, let’s not judge each other from both sides of the altar, but let’s rather be glad to see each other every morning, and love each other as long as we have each other.

This is precisely the problem Jesus is addressing with the Pharisees in the gospel today: the problem of passing premature judgment. Just like many Catholics in the pews watch priests like a hawk, so the Pharisees watched the apostles with a critical eye. So, they say: “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” That is, they become hypercritical and laser-focused on external behavior but forget what is going on in the heart.

Thus, Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, which says: “This people honors me with lip service, but their heart is far from me.” In other words, stop passing judgment like priests and people do at Mass, nit-picking each other’s mistakes. Instead just be pleased that we are all here, doing the best we can. That is, everyone’s external behavior can always use improvement – no one is a canonized saint until they die and go to heaven (and can prove it) – but perhaps our hearts are in the right place and we are doing the best we can.

My friends, try to be aware of this hidden tendency to pass judgment on others throughout the day. We think critically of drivers on the road. We feel our co-workers are lazy, incompetent or ambitious. We think our neighbor’s home-improvement projects are trying to one-up us and make us look bad. And of course, our spouse and in-laws have so many problems it’s hard to know even where to start to criticize them! The list is just too long.

Maybe instead of worrying about people’s exterior behavior, we might try cutting them some slack. Most people are just doing the best they can, and their heart is in the right place. Instead of being critical of each other, just try to be grateful for each other. And try to love each other for as long as we have each other, because we don’t have each other for very long.

Praised be Jesus Christ!