Do you think most of us have a deep understanding of the Sabbath. There are so many things that we have to get done and the Sabbath is a great day to do them. Let us think for a moment - are they so important that they invade God’s gift to you of setting aside some of God’s time (we are only borrowers!), for rest, for prayer, for quiet? I know that is easy for me to make these comments. As a priest, I have “holy” things to fill my Sabbath. Yet, I too need Sabbath. In the Gospel of Matthew 12, there is a serious tension between the rigorists of the law and the disciples of Jesus who were crushing ears of grain and eating the wheat. It is a good opportunity for Jesus to teach a lesson. He is Lord of the Sabbath; this day was made for us, not vice-versa. This doesn’t mean we can ignore it and starve ourselves of the peace and quiet God wants us to have. Some of you may remember when the Sabbath was a true Sabbath - when family members visited, when there were real times to talk, to listen. Look outside Church on any Sunday (or Saturday), it doesn’t take a genius to observe those who are being “church” in conversation and a sense of presence. I know that there are exceptions in all of our lives but when the exception becomes the rule, we are off base. What wheat are you crushing in your hands? I sometimes feel I keep the chaff and throw away the grain. -- Msgr. John Barry
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 12:22:54 +0000
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