August 30, Twenty-Second Sunday Ordinary Time

The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.--Psalm 15:1

Mass readings: Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 / James 1:17-18,21-22,27 / Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

My Confessor's Question

When I was a teenager going to confession, one of the dreaded items in my examination of conscience was ''impure thoughts.'' Yeah, I'd have them, but it was embarrassing to tell anyone, even the priest. His response, though, was usually a question: ''Did you take pleasure in these thoughts?'' If the answer was yes, I'd sinned. If the answer was, ''No, I wish they'd go away!'' I hadn't. I was just human.

Jesus was a master of human psychology. (Since He is God, and God made us, that's not surprising.) In today's Gospel, He tells the Pharisees that evil -- sin -- isn't something ''out there,'' the unclean food or person or object. It's something ''in here,'' in each of us, the weakness that may embrace what is impure. Just as my wise confessor used to say.

Prayer: In times of temptation, Lord, You are my rock and salvation.