Hi everyone. Welcome back to the Daily Gospel Exegesis podcast. Today we're looking at quite an

interesting passage, which is often used against Catholics and the way

the Catholic Church operates and so it's well worth digging into. So as always we'll start

by looking at the passage. We're in Mark chapter 7 verses 1 to 13. The Pharisees and some of

the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus,

and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them.

For the Pharisees and the Jews in general follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing

their arms as far as the elbow. And on returning from the marketplace, they never eat without first

sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them

concerning the washing of cups and pots and

bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, why do your disciples not respect the

tradition of the elders, but eat their food with unclean hands? He answered, it was of you hypocrites

that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture.

This people honours me only with their lip service while their hearts are far from me.

The worship they offer me is worthless. The doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.

And he also said to them,

how ingeniously you get round the commandment of God

in order to preserve your own tradition.

For Moses said,

Do your duty to your father and your mother, and anyone who curses father or

mother must be put to death. But you say, if a man says to his father or mother, anything I have

...