RBWords

 JANUARY 21  ST. AGNES, virgin and martyr

     One could spend many hours debating the significance of the expression, "Necessity knows no law."  Jesus' comment to the Pharisees seems to give credence to that expression!  The Sabbath must give way to fundamental human needs (or even animal needs - Mt. 11:12).  The strict interpretation of what could be done on the Sabbath created difficult situations!  Jesus was giving a much more merciful interpretation.  His claim, however, to be "Lord, even of the Sabbath" should give us pause to think.

 

     It is God who created the world and created the law of the Sabbath [Gen. 2:2-3] and enshrined this day of rest in the Sinai Covenant [Ex. 20:8-11] - the Ten Commandments!  There is no "except as hereinafter provided" clause!  For the Pharisees, that meant no work or activity that could be characterized as work.  Those of us who grew up in the days of the Baltimore Catechism learned the expression: "servile work."  We also learned how hard it was to figure out what "servile work" meant!  Did it include mowing the lawn or washing the car?  As a pastor I have frequently seen Sunday Mass take a distant second place to social and athletic events!  Would those be in the realm of "human necessity?"

 

     The Pharisees had a point even if they were too strict.  Jesus makes it clear that he has authority over the Sabbath as well and that mercy should triumph.  But if Sunday means only that we go to Mass and [maybe] not to our employment, I think the gift implied in Genesis is being deprived of its original mercy - that humans do need to take a day off from "work" and acknowledge the Lord of all creation as well as the necessity of human rest!   AMEN