In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the people to - "listen .... understand .... and .... see ...." (Vv 16, 18). So, what is it that Jesus wants us to listen to, understand, and see?

Fussing over what food would make people "clean" or "unclean" misplaces what is really important in God's sight. Therefore, Jesus goes straight to the point. He brings up the human heart as the place that makes people clean or unclean. And that it is from the human heart that the following arise - "fornication (sexual immorality), theft, murder, adultery, avarice (greed), malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly - a frightening list. Who we are can be deduced from what we engage in.

In less than a month from today, we will enter the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday (Mar 2). As a regular practice, we are often encouraged to examine ourselves using the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17), during the penitential season of Lent, and especially before the Rite of Reconciliation. Many of the "unclean" ways in which we live, as pointed out by Jesus in today's Gospel reading, have a close connection with the last six of the Ten Commandments: 5th - "Do not kill"; 6th - "Do not commit adultery"; 7th -"Do not steal"; 8th - "Do not give false evidence"; 9th - "Do not covet your neighbour's wife"; 10th - "Do not covet your neighbour's goods".

Today, let us "listen" to Jesus' words to "understand" what they mean and to "see", how with God's grace and our own decisive will, we can become "clean".