Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

(Galatians 5:1-6; Luke 11:37-41)

In the homes of pious Mexican families, an altar is often present.  It will typically have images of Jesus and Mary along with pictures of deceased loved ones.  The altar is a way of extending the life of prayer in church to the home.  In Jesus’ time Pharisees would wash before meals for a similar reason.  Washing oneself before eating imitates the ablutions of animals before being sacrificed in the Temple.  It reminds house members and guests of their offering of self to God.  For good reason, then, the Pharisee in today’s gospel is surprised when Jesus does not wash as he goes to eat.

Because the washing is not required in the Law, Jesus is not bound to do it.  However, he uses the look of surprise on the Pharisee’s face to give a lesson on spiritual cleanliness.  He says that inner purification through almsgiving forgives more sin than washing of hands and feet.  He wants his disciples to practice charity, not to worry about popular ritualistic practices.

This doesn’t mean that we should go to church with dirty hands unless, perhaps, it was in helping a homeless person that we dirtied them.  In any case, we should try to keep in mind the needs of others and much as our own needs.