First reading Romans 9:1-5
I would willingly be condemned if it could help my brothers
What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
Responsorial Psalm 147:12-15,19-20
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.
Gospel Luke 14:1-6
‘Is it against the law to cure a man on the sabbath?’
Now on a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. There in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees. ‘Is it against the law’ he asked ‘to cure a man on the sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?’ And to this they could find no answer.
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To see others through God’s eyes
Jesus invites us to place the greatest law of loving God and loving others above all other religious norms. In the gospel, the Jewish religious leaders wanted to test Jesus to see if He would heal the man with dropsy. They regarded the sick man as an object, a prop to be used and failed to see him as a person who was suffering. Jesus, on the other hand, saw the man as a person with dignity, a person in need of help. Thus, He was ready to heal the sick man even though He knew He would break the Sabbath law and incite the religious leaders’ anger.
Today, we are called to have a heart for people, especially those in need, by not looking down at them and treating them as objects but by putting them before ourselves and recognising their dignity as children of God. Let us take our lead from Jesus and have love as our top priority.
Reflective question:
How can I treat others with loving respect?
How can I treat others with loving respect?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
