“And having called together the multitudes unto him, he said to them: ‘Hear ye and understand. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man: but what cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ Then came his disciples, and said to him: ‘Dost thou know that the Pharisees when they heard this word, were scandalized?’ But he answering, said: ‘Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit.”
Rather than expending effort on an unmoving wall, “It is better to meet a bear robbed of her whelps, than a fool trusting in his own folly” (Proverbs 17:12), Jesus turns instead to the people who were willing to be taught: “Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors” (Proverbs 8:34). He ushers them to be attentive with their minds, that they may receive the words He is going to say as precious jewels: “For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it” (Proverbs 8:11). Jesus then establishes that what one eats is not the foundation of the law, but the love in one’s heart. While the Law declared certain animals unclean to eat: “Eat not the things that are unclean” (Deuteronomy 14:3), this was a commandment for a time, which had an analogical meaning, in that animals like swine, who in their nature do not chew the cud: “The swine also, because it divideth the hoof, but cheweth not the cud, shall be unclean, their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch” (Deuteronomy 14:8), there is a representation of men who do not give serious thought to words of wisdom, allowing themselves to chew on divine things to let it sink into their souls. Wisdom and understanding are food that require much labor and steps, like the process from planting seeds of grain to making bread, and frequent recollection, which yields sweetness and deep desire, for in the wisdom of love divine love is found: “Study wisdom, my son, and make my heart joyful” (Proverbs 27:11). In heaven, one is not judged on what they ate or didn’t eat, but on the love with which they lived their lives: “Meat for the belly, and the belly for the meats; but God shall destroy both it and them: but the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). It is not ugliness to eat pork, but to slander, detract, complain, or use one’s mouth in an undignified way, this is ugliness: “Wherefore laying away all malice, and all guile, and dissimulations, and envies, and all detractions” (1 Peter 2:1). Now, in this, the religious leaders were deeply scandalized, because their focus was on ritual purity, which placed a heavy emphasis on what foods should be eaten. However, what is false and superstitious is a plant planted without love, and the only thing which endures is love. Jesus is the cornerstone: “For other foundation no man can lay, but what which is laid; which is Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 3:11), the exemplar of the merciful love that is God, and so without His expression of love, one plants seeds in barren soil: “Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 126:1). The Pharisees seek the way of God, but are blind to the love and truth of Jesus, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and Jesus mentions to leave them alone. Now, this is because those who lead in false doctrines love their office, and will not soon be pried away from their error, and those that love to be with them joyfully run to the pit, and to try to pry them away only agitates them and wearies you: “Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee” (Proverbs 9:10). Your vocation, Theophila, is not to assail those outside the Catholic Church with arguments, for St. Paul says, “Contend not in words, for it is to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14), but to be radiantly in love with Jesus, letting the light around you be your witness: “And Aaron and the children of Israel seeing the face of Moses [shining], were afraid to come near” (Exodus 34:30); by this you “Sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). This is why St. James mentions that “If you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not” (James 3:14), because he would prefer your words to be honeyed with wisdom and love instead: “Thy lips are as a scarlet lace: and thy speech sweet” (Canticle 4:3). Let your every word and your tone of voice echo with love and truth, Theophila, and God will do the rest: “And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in shewing of the Spirit and power” (1 Corinthians 2:5).