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| “St Paul at his Writing-Desk “ by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1629-30 |
Commentary:
Commentary on Col 1:24–2:3
This selection begins with St. Paul telling the Colossians that the revelation of God’s plan is brought to completion in Christ, and he (Paul), in his suffering for the sake of that Gospel, is passing on that revelation to them. Going forward in his example, he hopes to encourage those whom he has not met to continue to live in the love of Christ and one another. There is a consistent understanding expressed by the apostle that all Christians are called to faith, even in the face of suffering. While through Christ’s suffering salvation was achieved, through the suffering of the faithful, conformity with Christ is brought nearer.
CCC: Col 1:24 307, 618, 1508; Col 1:27 568, 772
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 62:6-7, 9
R. (8) In God is my safety and my glory.
Commentary on Ps 62:6-7, 9
This song is one of deep and abiding faith. The singer trusts only in God (“He only is my rock”) and is at peace in God’s abiding love. The psalmist calls to the people to come to the Lord in times of trouble. God's refuge is large enough to shelter a whole nation.
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Gospel: Luke 6:6-11
Commentary on Lk 6:6-11
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is challenging the strict interpretation of Mosaic Law that says the Sabbath must be a day of complete rest and no work may be done. In front of the most scrupulous of these, the Pharisees, Jesus cures the man with a withered hand, exactly what they were waiting for, but asks them before he does so if they understand the difference between good and evil. The deeper question probably made them more upset than the actual action of curing the man.
CCC: Lk 6:6-9 581
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Reflection:
We hear a caution today that, while we are called to follow the laws set down by our faith, we must also be careful that we do not miss the spirit of the law in an attempt to be faithful to it. Of all the denominations of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church and its various subordinate rites have some of the most stringent rules governing the practice of the faith. As a consequence we must be doubly on guard against falling into that trap.
In the Gospel today, the Lord saw into the hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees. He saw that their love for the rules overshadowed their love for God’s creatures, especially those less fortunate than themselves. He saw that they viewed the man with the withered hand as a sinner, as one punished by God for offenses they did not care about. The fact that the man had been so afflicted meant that God had seen fit to punish him. He saw their secret pride in viewing themselves as better than the afflicted man, and he saw their sinister plan to trap him into a perceived violation of those laws they embraced above God.
All of this he took in at a glance, and we must understand that his heart was saddened because of the twisted interpretation of the Law that set the stage for what he was about to do. God did not afflict this poor man unless it was to provide a means for Christ to be revealed to this group as the Messiah, the Son of God. God did not say that keeping the sabbath holy meant to ignore those who need our help. The fact that the rules gave these scribes and Pharisees power over others had corrupted them, obscured the spirit of God the Law had been created to serve.
When Jesus cured the man with the withered hand he held up this twisted logic to the light of God’s love. In one flash of compassion, he declared that the Son of God was here to re-interpret the Law that had forgotten its purpose. Is it any wonder this event frightened the leaders who thought to use the event as a trap? His love had revealed their indifference, and the trust placed in them by the people was diminished.
These lessons are clear to us today, and we need to examine our own practices under the same light the Lord focused on the Scribes and Pharisees. The Catholic Church is blessed with the Magisterium that provides us with a consistent guide. It was developed by those to whom safeguarding the deposit of faith was entrusted by Christ, through apostolic succession. We, for our part, must redouble our efforts to implement the Church’s teaching regarding the practice of the faith within the boundaries established by the Magisterium, but in such a way that all we do brings glory, not to ourselves, but to God, and that our actions reflect the love for one another that was the first and greatest commandment he left of us.
Pax
[1] The picture is “St Paul at his Writing-Desk “ by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1629-30
[2] S.S Commemoratio
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