Gospel: August 4, 2026
August 4, 2026 (Tuesday)
18th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 (White)
St. John Vianney, priest
Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 & 22-23
The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
1st Reading: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
This is another word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Lord, God of Israel says, “Write in a book all that I have communicated to you, Lord says, “Your wound is incurable, your injury is grievous. There is no one to plead your cause. There is a remedy for an ulcer but no healing for you! All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. For I struck you as an enemy does, with a cruel punishment, because of your great guilt and the wickedness of your sin. Why cry out now that you are hurt? Is there no cure for your pain? Because of your great crime and grievous sin I have done this to you. The Lord says, “I will restore my people into Jacob’s tents and have pity on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt over its ruins and the palace restored on its proper place. From them will come songs of praise and the sound of merry making. I will multiply them and they shall not be few. I will bestow honor on them and they shall not be despised. Their children will be as before and their community will be established before me. I will ask their oppressors to account. Their leader will be one of themselves, their ruler shall emerge from their midst. I will bring him close to me for who would dare to approach me? You shall be my people and I shall be your God.”
Gospel: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 (or Matthew 14: 22-36)
Then, some Pharisees, and teachers of the law, who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus. And they said to him, “Why don’t your disciples follow the tradition of the elders?
For they, they don’t wash their hands before eating.”
Jesus then called the people to him, and said to them, “Listen and understand: What enters into the mouth does not make a person unclean. What defiles a person is what comes out of his mouth.”
After a while the disciples gathered around Jesus and said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you said?” Jesus answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be uprooted. Pay no attention to them! They are blind, leading the blind. When a blind person leads another, the two will fall into a pit.”
Reflection:
True holiness begins in the heart.
In the Gospel, Jesus boldly critiques the religious leaders by challenging their focus on external rituals while neglecting the heart’s true condition. When the Pharisees question why His disciples disregard ceremonial traditions, Jesus responds by exposing the emptiness of their practices. He redirects the conversation to what truly matters: not external observance but the state of the inner self.
Jesus declares, “What enters the mouth does not make a person unclean. What defiles a person is what comes out of their mouth.” This radical teaching urges us to examine our hearts. Are we focused on outward appearances while allowing pride, envy, or anger to fester within? True holiness begins in the heart, with love, mercy, and humility shaping our actions.
This passage reminds us to prioritize authenticity over appearances. Jesus invites us to embrace a faith that transforms us from the inside out, where our words and actions flow from a heart rooted in His truth and grace. Let us live with integrity, honoring God in spirit and truth.
