God Saw Creation as Good

Homily for Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

While the Pharisees would have us believe that they have based their conduct on the Torah, they seem to have forgotten the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis. The last verse of chapter one is very clear: “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.”

Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, there have been several different heresies that have stated that created matter was evil while the spiritual realm was good. The first of these heresies appeared around the year 210 A.D. and was called Manichaeism. Despite the Church’s teaching that such beliefs contradicted the Scriptures, various forms of this heresy persisted and were present even at the time of St. Francis of Assisi. This heresy proclaimed that matter was evil; consequently, Jesus could not have been the incarnate Son of God.

Jewish dietary law labeled certain foods as unclean. Today’s Gospel text counters that notion. Jesus declares that “what comes out of man, that is what defiles him. From within the man, from his heart,” comes every form of evil. When we remember that St. Paul’s writings all came before the four Gospels, it is not hard to see that St. Mark’s list of evil comes right out of St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.

When we speak, when we act, when we think, we are operating from what is in our hearts. The more distant we are in relationship with God, the more our thoughts, words, and actions are not of God. However, when we are more in communion with God, the more our thoughts, words, and actions speak of God’s mercy and love.

Often, when we act, speak, and think contrary to the Gospel message, it is due to wounds we have in our hearts. Consequently, it is good for us to consider, from time to time, on what is going on in our hearts and invite Jesus to heal areas of hardness, bitterness, or unforgiveness. When light shines on these darkened areas of our hearts, it is an opening for Jesus to extend his healing upon them. When we experienced the healing power of Jesus, we are more inclined to think and act as Jesus would.