22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

The readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B tell us to be wary of those things which lead us to sin and remind us that we must really follow Jesus in our hearts. In the first reading Moses tells the Israelites that they must obey the commands of God. In the second reading we hear that we should humbly receive the word of God and act upon it. And in the gospel, Jesus warns us against following commandments literally but not receiving them into our hearts.

Are we truly following Jesus or just "going through the motions"?

Daily Mass Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

• First Reading - Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you."
• Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 15: "The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord."
• Second Reading -James 1:17-18, 21B-22, 27: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
• Gospel - Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23: "You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."

Lip Service – A Lesson Plan on the Spirit of the Law

This lesson plan goes with the gospel reading for this Sunday. We must understand the importance of seeing the heart of God in the spirit of the law.

Prayer for Doing the Right Thing

This prayer is based on Psalm 15, the responsorial Psalm for this Sunday. This prayer invites us to be doers of the word.

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“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.”

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"Jesus cautions us about a religiosity of appearances: looking good on the outside, while failing to purify the heart. He does not want outward appearances. He wants to put faith back at the center. He wants a faith that touches the heart." - Pope Francis