Saturday, September 03, 2011
St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
Luke 6: 1 - 5 | |
1 | On a sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. |
2 | But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?" |
3 | And Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: |
4 | how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" |
5 | And he said to them, "The Son of man is lord of the sabbath." |
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
A BLESSED SATURDAY TO ALL!!!
Work... work... work... work.... It appears that it is about work that which stresses both mind and body in many of us than anything else nowadays. Most of us work at least 6 and a half day in a week. There are those who would even claim that they work 8 days a week. This “work” could be anything that we do that made us achieved something out of a particular interest, or to get paid for a living, or just to express ourselves, and for whatever reason. Many are even more stressed just to find it for a living. We always seek for work because by nature every one of us is a worker—homo faber.
The Gospel today presents to us another instance that manifests the tension or conflict Jesus had with the religious leaders of his time. This particular conflict has something to do with the observance of the Sabbath. The word sabbath means or associated with resting. And so, there are those who would claim to be enjoying their “sabbatical leave”—a period of rest from their work or ministry. In the context of the encounter of Jesus and the Pharisees in the Gospel today, the sabbath refers to their weekly day of rest as part of their religious practices in observance to a requirement enshrined in the Ten Commandments of God.
The day of the Sabbath is not just meant for resting but to have a time to re-focus or re-direct one’s attention and concerns from the self to God. It is the day of the week that one will have a break from the daily concerns of living so that whatever achievements or failures, triumphs or defeats, anything can be brought to God in thanksgiving and praise. This rest day is not just to recuperate from all the energy spent in working as to recharge us to become physically strong and fit again for work but to be recharged and rejuvenated completely through a spiritual revitalization. Sabbath day is meant to commune with the source and foundation of all works, the Creator. Not only that, but also to offer and surrender all our failures and shortcomings from being a good steward of creation through work and especially humbly surrendering all our sins to the Mercy and Love of our forgiving heavenly Father.
Jesus and his disciples are condemned because they are thought to break their Sabbath Law. However, the Pharisees’ legalistic mentality blinded them to see the most important and sacred demand of God and His Law. Because of their pious legalism, that is strictly following the Law to the LETTER, they failed to observe and carry out the Law’s SPIRIT. Jesus’ recollection of how David and his men had eaten the bread of Presence reserved only for priests to eat is a way to open the eyes of the Pharisees to the SACRED DEMAND of the Sabbath, and any Law they strictly and blindly follow. Any law is made for man and not to make man its blind slave. Every law has the spirit to secure for the GOOD of man. When Jesus and his disciples pluck and eat heads of grain, Jesus catechized and reoriented the Pharisees to realize that human NEEDS take priority over pious legalism. David and his men must have understood that rituals and rules take a back seat when human needs arise.
The Gospel today reminds us of what God truly desires from us. It is not so much the offerings and sacrifices we render to him but acts of MERCY (Matthew 9:13). The fruit of worship is CHARITY! If we worship without being charitable, especially to those in need, what we render to God would just be empty-rituals, an empty piety.
For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com
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