Lectionary Readings for the 22nd Sunday of the Year, Year B

Readings, Responsorial Psalm and Gospel

Reading I, Dt 4, 1-2. 6-8

A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy
You may add nothing to the word which I speak
to you - keep the commands of the Lord.

Moses told the people: "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. In your observance
of the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I
enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command
you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and
intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all
these statutes and say, "This great nation is truly
a wise and intelligent people.' For what great
nation is there that has gods so close to it as
the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon
him? Or what great nations has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law which I am
setting before you today?"
The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm, Ps 15, 2-3. 3-4. 4-5. R. v. 1

R. He who does justice will live in the presence
of the Lord.

1. He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue. R.

2. Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the Lord. R.

3. Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed. R.

Reading II, Jas, 17-18. 21-22. 27

A Reading from the Letter of James
Be doers of the word.

Every worthwhile gift, every genuine benefit comes
from above, descending from the Father of the
heavenly luminaries, who cannot change and who is
never shadowed over. He wills to bring us to birth
with a word spoken in truth so that we may be a
kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Humbly welcome
the word that has taken root in you, with its power
to save you. Act on this word. If all you do is
listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves. Looking
after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping
oneself unspotted by the world make for pure worship
without stain before our God and Father.
The Word of the Lord.

Gospel, Mk 7, 1-8. 14-15. 21-23

Alleluia Jn 14, 23
R. Alleluia. If anyone loves me, he will
hold to my words, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him. R. Alleluia.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel, According to Mark
You forget the commandments of God and hold on to
the traditions of men.

The Pharisees and some of the experts in the law
who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus.
They had observed a few of his disciples eating meals
without having purified - that is to say, washed -
their hands. The Pharisees, and in fact all Jews,
cling to the custom of their ancestors and never
eat without scrupulously washing their hands. Moreover,
they never eat anything from the market without first
sprinkling it. There are many other traditions they
observe - for example, the washing of cups and jugs
and kettles. So the Pharisees and the scribes
questioned him: "Why do your disciples not follow
the tradition of our ancestors, but instead take
food without purifying their hands?" He said to
them: "How accurately Isaiah prophesied about you
hypocrites when he wrote,

This people pays me lip service but their heart is
far from me. Empty is the reverence they do me
because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts.'

You disregard God's commandment and cling to what
is human tradition." He summoned the crowd again and
said to them: "Hear me, all of you, and try to understand.
Nothing that enters a man from outside can make him
impure; that which comes out of him, and only that,
constitutes impurity. Let everyone heed what he
hears!" "Wicked designs come from the deep recesses
of the heart: acts of fornication, theft, murder,
adulterous conduct, greed, maliciousness, deceit,
sensuality, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, an obtuse
spirit. All these evils come from within and render
a man impure."
This is the gospel of the Lord.

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