Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
I have been formed in faith, raised in a family, taught by, and work among, educators that hold high the values of love, compassion, respect, integrity, and community (along with many other things). One of the greatest developments of my faith has been the recognition of the centralizing and centering power of Jesus--in name, in word, in sacrament. We hear in today’s Gospel, “for the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” The Pharisees are following Jesus and his disciples around, finding yet another technicality to complain about. The disciples are picking the heads of grain to eat...on the Sabbath! Shame on them! That is against the law!
Then, Jesus proceeds to upend their criticism in the usual fashion--with challenge and graceful wisdom. As I reflect on the message of the Gospel, my heart is pulled back to that one line: “the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.” Jesus is the centralizing figure of our faith--we merely need to look at the cross to see how to love; we bring Jesus into our lives through our prayer; we receive Jesus into our bodies through the Eucharist; we interact with Jesus through our relationships with neighbors, family, friends, and strangers.
Jesus, the Son of Man and Lord of the Sabbath, responds to the Pharisees’ criticism by saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus’ desire is a call for us to offer mercy, rather than judgement, when we are in the position to critique. It is also a powerful example of how we can respond to criticism. As Jesus reminds us, “something greater than the temple is here.” Our faith goes far beyond a set of rules, a building, and a book of prayers.
This is what I feel at this very moment in our world: at every turn, around every corner, on every television, in every community, on all social media feeds...there is volatility, division, hatred--it is a terrifying time in history right now. St. Mother Teresa wrote, “We are able to go through the most terrible places fearlessly, because Jesus is in us.” When our minds naturally wander toward judgement, may we center ourselves, calling out to Jesus, repeating His name, and allowing his desire and example to settle in our hearts.
May we have the courage to stand with those we would prefer to criticize, look them in the eye, listen to their story, allow them to touch our soul, and respond with mercy. The Son of Man is Lord; Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Let us love one another and live that love in our words and actions.
Abundant Blessings,
- Brandon Meyer