Ordinary Time, Thursday, 2-6-24, Year B
Readings: 1st Reading 1 Kgs:8-22-23,27-30; Ps 84:3-5, 10-11; Gospel; Mk 7:1-13
Memorial: St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Theme: The Standard of Original Truth
They say if someone keeps telling a lie, that lie ends up becoming their truth. They can no longer make the distinction between what was real and what was a lie. They have conditioned themselves to believe a new truth from a falsehood.
In a similar way, if we keep doing something over and over again, we train our brains and muscles to adapt to that behavior and become very skilled at it, whether that be a sport, music, work, or our behavior toward others. The behavior change due to conditioning is not always good either, such as with addictions such as drugs, alcohol, and sex.
Repetitive actions or behaviors shape our thoughts and how we live our lives, whether for good or bad. In many cases, people have to be de-programmed or unconditioned from their current reality so that their true, original, reality can be restored. They have to measure themselves against a true standard of original truth.
This is where the intervention of others comes in to help us understand our current behavior and re-orient it to our standard of the original truth we once had.
Our original standard of truth that we once understood can be changed over time into a distorted truth because of conditioning in our way of thinking. For example, the Pharisees in our Gospel reading today.
At one time, the Pharisees understood the standard of truth and the connection between the law and God. Moses received the law from God and expounded on its meaning and practice and how it was to work for the good of the people. Yet, over time, through conditioning and constant practice of the law, the truth of that original practice of the law for God, became a new practice of the law for men.
They became so conditioned on the practice of the law that they forgot the most important reason the law was given in the first place, to provide for the love and care of their neighbor.
Christ intervened with the Pharisees and pointed out that they had lost the meaning and intent of God’s law by believing that nothing can overshadow the law, not even the love, support, or nurturing of their neighbor.
We can see this conditioning of behavior in our everyday lives today. For example, what once was love between a man and a woman as complimentary to each other and aligned with God’s will for the procreation of new life, now has become a love of humanity and re-aligned with our human will. This movement of love of God to love of humanity can, in many cases, lead to a disordered love for each and the many forms that can represent today.
Many have come to accept this new reality of the meaning of love as being from God, Himself. This is a time to check that thinking against our standard of original truth given to us by Christ, Himself.
We must remain vigilant and constantly remind ourselves of the truth of Christ’s teaching, the meaning of God’s will for us, and that narrow path that leads us to heaven. Otherwise, we will end up like the Pharisees, conditioned into a false faith of an earthly practice.
So, next time you want to remind someone that their actions are against the law, make sure your standard of original truth is centered in Christ. Check yourself against that standard of original truth before you judge. That person you want to correct may just be living the original truth you have long forgotten.
Saint James Catholic Church 