RBWords

     Didn't we hear words like these not too long ago?  Yes, we did.  The dinner at Matthew's house after Jesus called him as one of the eventual apostles was the occasion.  The scribes and Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with sinners and unclean persons.  Jesus told them in reply to go and learn the meaning of the same words quoted above from Hosea:  "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."   The Gospel According to Matthew shows how important this value is in Jesus' teaching.

     The setting today concerns the Sabbath.  The law of Moses in Deuteronomy forbade harvesting on the Sabbath.  Jesus and his disciples were walking through a grain field on the Sabbath and the disciples were hungry.  They began to pluck grain and eat it.  This immediately got them in trouble with the Pharisees.  Jesus replies that even sacred people like King David or the priests in the temple could be found guilty of this.  The plain fact is that fundamental human need requires that even good rules be suspended so that the need can be cared for.  Love of God and neighbor is the first and most important rule.  Jesus invokes his own authority in holding neighbor above observance.

     That rule challenges us to look closely at our priorities.  Where does mercy fit in our individual or collective rules for living our faith?  Is it more important to get to Mass on time than to help an obviously needy person in our path?  On a larger scale, is it more important to protect our borders than to help the desperate people trying to cross it?  Pope Francis continually reminds us of the importance of mercy in living Jesus' teaching.   Human legislation is often the result of fear instead of love and mercy.  Recognizing these fears and looking for the presence of Christ beyond those fears is a great step toward the Kingdom of God.  AMEN