When I was a child, we had a little step stool that was placed under the bathroom sink so that we could wash our hands without having to be lifted up by Mom or Dad. The step stool had a painting of a carousel and below the carousel image there was an inscription that read: “Wash hands and face and do it well when you step on this carousel.” The fact that I can remember that sixty years after I first stepped on that step stool indicates that hand-washing was a daily ritual in my earliest years. Ritual and tradition are important to our formation as members of the human family and as believers. I’m always interested in learning about different family traditions, particularly around holidays and birthdays, and I’m a student of the connection between Jewish ritual and Catholic Liturgy. Did you know that in the temple, ritual washing was an important step before and after offering sacrifice to God? Do you see the connection between that and the lavabo – the hand-washing that the priest does immediately after he prepares the bread and wine that will be used for the re-enactment of Christ’s sacrifice at the altar?
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus chastises those obsessed with following ritual. He calls them out because they are not authentic; that is, they worry more about ritual purification of vessels than living lives of purity. He challenges those who criticize disciples who do not wash their hands simply because the law says you should do so. Jesus suggests that what those handwashing police do is miss an opportunity to get their hands dirty serving God and their brothers and sisters. This discourse on cleanliness is an invitation to spend more time on creating a clean heart for God and neighbor. It is reminiscent of the reading from Joel that we hear on Ash Wednesday where God says “rend your hearts, not your garments.” This Gospel passage is a life-giving mandate to forget about checking boxes and remembering to love without condition. It’s a call to ask ourselves, “Why do I do what I do? And what am I doing for God and my neighbor?
It’s so important to wash our hands, but when it comes to living life, we have to make sure we aren’t “washing our hands” of the responsibilities of discipleship. The great news is that in our prayer, Jesus will gently lead us to life-giving ritual and tradition.
Yours in Christ,
Welcome to the Saint Aloysius! Our parish was founded in 1896 to serve the Catholic families that were settling in the greater New Canaan area.