DAILY GOSPEL Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68 Tuesday, 21 January 2014 Tuesday of the Second week in Ordinary Time Feast of the Church : Week of prayer for Christian unity Saint(s) of the day : St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr (+ 304) - Memorial See commentary below or click here Saint John Chrysostom : That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 2:23-28. As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, At this the Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath? He said to them, Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions? Then he said to them, The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath. Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day : Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church Homilies on Saint Matthews gospel, no.39 That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath From the first, the law of the Sabbath conferred many and great benefits; for instance, it made the Jews gentle towards those of their household, and humane; it taught them God the Creators providence and wisdom... When God was giving the law for the Sabbath he had said... that he would have them refrain from evil works only, by saying: “You must do no work, except for what is necessary for life” (Ex 12,16 LXX). And in the temple, too, all went on, and with more diligence than ever. Thus even by the very shadow he was secretly opening the light of full truth (cf. Col 2,17). Did Christ then do away with so highly profitable a thing? Far from it; he greatly enhanced it. For it was unnecessary... that we should hereby learn that God made all things, or should so be made gentle who are called to imitate Gods own love. For he says: “Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful”(Lk 6,36). It was no longer necessary to fix a day of festival for those who are commanded to keep a feast all their life long. For: “Let us keep the feast,” Saint Paul writes, “not with old leaven, neither with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1Cor 5,8)... So now, why is any sabbath required for christians who are always keeping the feast and whose conversation is in heaven? Yes, my brethren, let us celebrate that continual, heavenly sabbath
Posted on: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 11:57:26 +0000
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