Scripture readings for today can be found at Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB
In the continuing conflict between the
Pharisees and Jesus, we see another example of how the Pharisees were looking
more legalistically at following the law of keeping holy the sabbath to the
exclusion of helping those in need. The message from Jesus is that by helping
those in need during the sabbath is not in violation of this commandment of the
sabbath.
All throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth,
his focus was to bring people to salvation and to help them know that God is a
loving and caring God, worried about their health and well-being. Jesus, in
other parts of scripture, when asked about what the greatest commandment is,
responded, “The first commandment is: You shall love the Lord God with your
whole mind, heart and soul; and the 2nd is like the first: you shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:34)
Looking at this gospel through the focus
of our Catholic Christian tradition, we are to learn that, yes, it’s important
and a priority, even an obligation, to attend Holy Mass every Sunday, and to avoid any unnecessary
work. But there are times when we may have a sick spouse, relative or child
that would prevent us from attending Sunday mass. Considering Jesus’ question,
"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?" I would say that the
focus would be on the helping and healing of your sick loved one. By being
present to someone who is sick, whether during the week, or on a Sunday, that,
too, can be your worship of God. By serving the needs of those who are sick and
in need of your presence, you are serving God, and this, too, is a form of
worship.
Being present to a sick person during
their time of need is an ideal time to not only make sure they are receiving
the medical help they need, but during the quiet time of being present with
this loved one, you can offer your
prayers for their healing, and to place their health concerns into the loving
hands of God to respond in a way that is best for their needs. By doing so, you
are fulfilling your obligation of keeping holy the sabbath.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteAuthentic Catholic teaching provides a balance between the scrupulous & legalistic interpretation of keeping the Sabbath holy & the extremely casual attitudes & behaviors of many people who were raised Catholic but ignore the moral obligation to participate at Mass on Sundays & holidays of obligation.
The Pharisees were so scrupulous & legalistic that I heard or read somewhere that they reportedly added over 300 of their own laws to the Law that GOD gave to Moses to put a protective hedge around the Law so that also keeping the additional laws would protect them from disobeying GOD'S Law. But something that began with good intentions eventually resulted in their equating their own human laws with GOD'S Law, placing unnecessary burdens on the people under their authority as well as themselves, becoming blind to the Presence of the Incarnate Messiah in their midst & rejecting & even crucifying Him!
Participating at Mass on Sunday, preferably in person in Church whenever possible (televised & live streamed Masses are substitutes for people who legitimately are unable to attend Mass in church) is still a moral obligation under the pain of grave sin that can even be a mortal sin if the person deliberately knows this is seriously wrong after sufficient reflection & deliberately chooses to disobey with full consent of the will. But the Church acknowledges that there are legitimate reasons to excuse people from attending Mass: illness, caring for a sick person (some people would add caring for a sick animal, such as an emergency trip to the vet), an unavoidable emergency, infirmity due to old age, extreme weather or other conditions that would be dangerous & could result in illness or serious injury, an unavoidable job obligation, & extreme geographical distance from a Church. During the height of the pandemic the churches were closed & when the churches reopened it was still advised that people who were exposed to COVID-19 were advised to quarantine. The demands of charity, health & safety take precedence over the obligation. The tender loving care of a sick person can definitely become a form of prayer.
We need to avoid both the legalistic scrupulosity & judgmental & uncharitable attitudes & behavior of the Pharisees AND the casual indifference of those who ignore the obligation to attend Mass, who fail to recognize & reverence the Real Presence of Our LORD in the Eucharist & those who have fallen away from the practice of our Catholic Christian faith. We need to pray for proper balance & for the return of many to the Mass, the sacraments & to the Church.