Daily Catholic Reflection: January 19, 2021, Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Hebrews 6:10-20;

Psalm 111: 1bc-2.4-5.9;

Mark 2:23-28 Full Readings

Saint Fabian

 Sabbath is Made for Man

Brethren, in God, nothing about us is forgotten, except our sins, through His mercy.  This is why the Book of Hebrews tells us that our good efforts and deeds can never be forgotten.  Our every good deed for God and His Church will be repaid. This is how God repaid Abraham, fulfilling the promises He had made him.  It is not our past good deeds that gives our present blessings but the good deeds we have continued to do in perseverance. The good deeds of David that were sustained gave him and his followers the privilege to eat the meal of the High Priests.  God can waive laws in order to see us saved. We in turn must not be inhumanly strict.

What does the commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" require of us? Or better yet, what is the primary intention behind this command? The religious leaders confronted Jesus on this issue. The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It was a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf. It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment.

The Lord of the Sabbath feeds and nourishes us. Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom.

When David and his men were fleeing for their lives, they sought food from Ahimelech the priest (1 Samuel 21:1-6). The only bread he had was the holy bread offered in the Temple. None but the priests were allowed to eat it. In their hunger, David and his men ate of this bread. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Sabbath was given for our benefit, to refresh and renew us in living for God. It was intended for good and not for evil. Withholding mercy and kindness in response to human need was not part of God's intention that we rest from unnecessary labor. 

Seek the Lord's rest and refreshment. Why didn't the Pharisees recognize the claims of mercy over rules and regulations? Their zeal for ritual observance blinded them from the demands of charity. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Sabbath was given for our benefit, to refresh and renew us in living for God. It was intended for good and not for evil. Withholding mercy and kindness in response to human need was not part of God's  intention that we rest from unnecessary labour.

Do you honor the Lord in the way you treat your neighbor and in the same way celebrate the Lord's Day?

Let us Pray

Lord Jesus, may I give you fitting honor in the way I live my life and in the way I treat my neighbor. May I honor the Lord's Day as a day holy to you. And may I always treat others with the same mercy and kindness which you have shown to me. Free me from a critical and intolerant spirit that I may always seek the good of my neighbor. Amen 

Be blessed