A young girl and two monks

Courtesy of Fr. James Castro, cmf

Two monks, Brother Francis and an elder monk, are walking down a muddy road on a rainy day. They came upon a lovely young girl dressed in fine silk, who was afraid to cross because of the flood and the mud.

“Come on, girl,” said Brother Francis. And he picked her up in his strong arms, and carried her across the river. The two monks walked on in silence till they reached the monastery. Then the elder monk couldn't bear it any longer. “Monks shouldn't go near young girls,” he said, “certainly not beautiful ones like that one! Why did you do it?” “Dear brother,” said Brother Francis, “I put the girl down by the river bank, but you have carried her right into the monastery.”

In these two monks we see the two often conflicting approaches to Christian spirituality, namely, avoidance and involvement. The spirituality of avoidance emphasizes the devout fulfillment of pious religious obligations, and shuns away from those regarded as sinners for fear of being contaminated by them. It aims at keeping the believer unstained by the world, not at changing the world or making a difference. The spirituality of involvement, on the other hand, emphasizes active solidarity with sinners, who are often perceived as the untouchables of the world. It does not shun but extends a helping hand to them, believing that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Balance in Christian spirituality consists in reconciling these two tendencies and bringing them into harmony. As James tells us, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress [involvement] , and to keep oneself unstained by the world [avoidance]” (James 1:27).

In today’s gospel the Pharisees and the scribes speak for the spirituality of avoidance. Their focus is on ritual observances. Their complaint about eating with unwashed hands has nothing to do with personal hygiene. They are interested in the ritual washing of hands which was an institution meant to avoid the presumed impurity of Gentiles from contaminating the ritual purity of Jews. By not observing the ceremony the disciples of Jesus are blurring the distinction between Jews and Gentiles and behaving as if the two were one. Jesus defends this spirituality of inclusion with outsiders in very unmistakable terms: “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile” (Mark 7:14-15).

In this one single sentence Jesus demolishes the entire structure of religious homophobia, the fear and avoidance of people who are different from us. Gentiles do not defile Jews any more than Jews defile Gentiles. Nothing and nobody outside a person can defile a person. If in the presence of someone or something you smell defilement, chances are that you brought the defilement with you in the first place. You need look no further than within your own heart and soul. A clean-minded person sees nothing but cleanness everywhere, in everything and in everyone.

We might indeed expand a famous beatitude of Jesus as follows: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God everywhere, in everything and in everyone” (Matthew 5:8). No wonder Jesus did not hesitate to touch a leper, to eat with sinners and to let an “unclean” woman touch him. He got so involved with bad people that they nicknamed him “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:9).

Today is a good day to take a second look at our spiritual orientation. Do we cultivate a spirituality of avoidance like the elder monk who would leave a small girl out in the cold for the sake of keeping some man-made rule or for fear of compromising his holiness? If so today’s gospel challenges us to be more like Brother Francis who would reach out to all those in need, knowing that unless we carry the defilement in our hearts already, nothing and nobody outside of us can defile us.

Let us get involve and live our faith! Have a nice weekend!