As Gentile Christians of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the Twentieth First Century our cultural and theological context is very different from that facing the community for whom St Mark wrote at the time of his Gospel. For us the washing of hand before eating and the cleaning of dishes is merely a matter of hygiene whereas, for Jews of the First Century, such practices had greater cultural, religious and hence political significance. The squabbles between Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes and Zealots mean that there was no single perspective on how Jews should live and what they should believe. The tendency of these groups to fight for precedence and status, even within their own party, meant that the wider issues of injustice, mercy and love were being ignored as they fought over details of liturgy and custom. I do not think that Jesus and the first Christians were advocating the destruction of custom, tradition and practice since Jesus and the Apostles are shown throughout the Scripture as being observant Jews, according to the law and custom of the time. Rather, the concern is that these find their proper place in service of the mission given by Christ to the Church. We do not want the squabbles between Catholics on matters of lesser importance, let alone with other Christians, to undermine our response to Christs commission to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." (Mtt 28: 19-20) The last thing we want to hear, when we meet the Lord face to face, to account for our stewardship of the Good News is: "You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." (Mk 7: 8)
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