💖 HOMILY - JULY 15 💖

First Reading - Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8

Gospel - Matthew 12:1-8

Today’s Gospel passage gives Jesus’ teaching on the purpose of the Sabbath and on its proper observance. This was his response to a criticism and a silly accusation made by Pharisees against his disciples who, on a Sabbath, to satisfy their hunger, plucked ears of grain from a field and ate the grains after removing the husks by rubbing the grains between their palms and blowing away the chaff. The Pharisees accused them of violating Sabbath laws by performing three items of work forbidden on Sabbath, namely, harvesting, threshing and winnowing.

Jesus gives three counterarguments from Holy Scripture defending his apostles. (1) Basic human needs, like hunger, take precedence over Divine worship and Sabbath observance. Jesus cites from the Scripture the example of the hungry David and his selected soldiers. They approached Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, who gave them for food the “offering bread” which only the priests were allowed to eat (1 Sm 21:1-6). (2) No law can stand against Divine worship. That is why the priests were not considered as violating Sabbath laws although they did the work of preparing two rams for sacrifice in the Temple (Nm 28:9-10). (3) God desires that we practice mercy: Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea to tell the accusers God’s words: “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6).

Dear friends, like the Jewish Sabbath, the Christian Sunday is to be 1) a day for rest and refreshment with members of the family; 2) a day for thanksgiving and the recharging of spiritual batteries through participation in the Eucharistic celebration for Catholics and through worship service for the Non-Catholics; 3) a day parents should use for teaching religious Faith and Bible lessons for their children; 4) a day for doing works of charity in the neighborhood and in the parish; 5) a day for socializing with family members, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. 

Jesus also reminds us that God desires mercy from us; mercy in terms of showing forgiveness and in terms of doing charity to the needy. Our life of mercy is more acceptable to God than the life without mercy with rigorous empty piety and discipline. Let our life of Christian mercy become a model for our life for today and in the days to come.