DAILY- HOMILY

January 16, 2018 – TUESDAY, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time 

St. Joseph Vaz, Priest and Missionary 

Green.

1 Sm 16: 1 - 13 I Mk 2: 23- 28

Born in Goa, India, St. Joseph Vaz (1651 - 1711), the Apostle of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), was an Oratorian missionary priest in Ceylon when the Dutch sought to establish Calvinism as the official religion. Beatified in 1995, he was canonized by Pope Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 14 January 2015.

FROM THE 1ST REading: 1 Sm 16: 13

Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him [David] in his brothers' presence. From that day onwards, Yahweh's Spirit took hold of David.

GOSPEL READING:           Mk 2: 23- 28

One sabbath Jesus was walking through grainfields.. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of grain and crush them in their hands. Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look! They are doing what is forbidden on the sabbath!"

And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did in his time of need, when he and his men were very hungry? He went into the house of God when Abiathar was High Priest and ate the bread of offering, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and he also gave some to the men who were with him." Then Jesus said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. So the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath."

REFLECTION

In the first reading Samuel anoints the young David in his family's presence.

In the Gospel reading we see Jesus reprimanding the Pharisees for their narrow interpretation of the sabbath law. The Pharisees say his disciples violate the sabbath by picking heads of grain and crushing them in their hands.

In other occasions they accused Jesus of breaking the sabbath by curing on the sabbath: "There are six days in which to work; come on those days to be healed and not on the sabbath" (Lk 13: 14)

Rather than having the sabbath law as a command to honor and thank Yahweh and to give due rest and relaxation to man and even animals, the Pharisees had reduced the sabbath observance to myriad rules and activities not allowed during the sabbath.

Even today some Jews in Israel do not carry car keys nor drive during the sabbath. Some hotels have "sabbath elevators" which are programmed to stop at each floor because one may not press for the elevator on the sabbath.

Moses declared the sabbath law, "Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you will labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh your God. Do not work on that day neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals, nor the stranger with you. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. but on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Ex 20: 8 - 11)

How did they arrive at such regulations for the sabbath day? Jesus declared his complete opposition to the Pharisees' observance of the sabbath, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. So the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath."

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     Lucy M. Eugenio

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     Manny & Liza Salgado

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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