...Jesus responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts... (Mk 7:1-13).
God is good, all the time.
Today, we are with Jesus in the gospel, calling our attention to the true Christian understanding and practices that honor God. We do not honor God by acting in the same way we act towards human beings. For example, we care a lot more about appearances; we pay attention to people’s perception of us, how we look before others, what others say to make us feel appreciated and good.
However, Jesus reminds us that we cannot bring these purely human tendencies to our relationship with God. God cares more about our hearts. Therefore, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of objecting to God's commandment in favor of tradition. He discourages lip services, professing God with the lips without backing it with our hearts. He reveals to the Pharisees how wrong they are for setting aside God's commandment to uphold tradition!
Since God created us like himself, according to Genesis, we must honor him truthfully from the heart. From the creation-evolution perspective, we understand that God made all things but leaves us to discover them from time to time. So that all human discoveries should lead us to faith and devotion to God from the heart.
The way to honor God truly from the heart is to find him in everyone you meet today and let him influence your love and service towards others in your work, relationship, and responsibilities.
Prayer blessings: Father, you created all things to reveal and serve your glory. I am your handiwork still open to your creative hand to chisel all the unpleasant part of my life away until I become pleasing to your lovely eyes. Amen.