In Mark’s Gospel, we encounter a variety of conflicts between Jesus and various groups of Pharisees. Our Gospel reading this weekend details one such encounter. However, I think Mark was less concerned about the historical Pharisees and more concerned about addressing the ways his readers, you and I, sometimes fall into the mindset of the Pharisees and find themselves being judgmental or overly rigid. A number of years ago, a friend of mine preached about the difference between St. Francis of Assisi and Tomas de Torquemada, the Spanish Inquisitor who attempted to purify the faith and fight heresy. St. Francis and Tomas de Torquemada shared the same faith and lived in the same era, yet their world view was miles apart. Both were good intentioned and believed they were living their faith, yet one drew people to Jesus with a joyful and loving message and the other inflicted fear and irreparable harm. When we compare St. Francis and Tomas de Torquemada, we find some similarities between the interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees. When rules and issues become more important than people, it runs the risk of becoming mean and cruel. The caution for us as people of faith is to avoid being judgmental of others and limiting our faith to a prescribed set of unyielding rules and practices. Being a Christian is less about blind obedience, adhering to a set of rules and practices, and more about having a loving heart; of being compassionate and respectful of ourselves and one another. How we treat other people and ourselves matters. As summer draws to a close, let us joyfully live our faith by being compassionate and respectful. Let us focus on finding joy in our faith and letting God’s love fill us, transforming us into people of peace, compassion, and joy. May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forever more. Fr. Harry