Word to the Wise
Friday, July 16, 2021 - Friday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 11:10—12:14 and Matt 12:1-8]"I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath." [Matthew]
The third commandment of the Decalogue - keeping the sabbath - was and still is sacred to observant Jews. Deuteronomy 23:25-26 forbade "reaping" on the sabbath. When Jesus' disciples picked grain to eat, the Pharisees were quick to complain. Jesus' response to them begins with history. King David and his men went into the temple sanctuary when they were hungry and ate the bread being offered in sacrifice, which was technically reserved to the priests. Jesus' second point refers to the priests themselves who had to work on the sabbath!! But, last and most importantly, Jesus speaks from his own authority. He is greater than the temple and is, in fact, the very creator and Lord of the sabbath! His authority proclaims compassion and mercy to be more important than legal or liturgical observance! The goal of the law was and still is to protect what is sacred. But this goal is secondary to genuine human need - hunger, healing, forgiveness.
In recent years, I have observed a concern among certain Catholics about the "validity" of certain sacramental or liturgical observances. (Perhaps this is a reaction to careless liturgical practices that initially followed the Second Vatican Council's reforms?} The canonical word that shows up is "validity." Another verbal equivalent is "count" as in, "Does it still 'count' if I missed a day in a novena?" Or, "I had to take care of my sick mother and missed Mass. Do I have to go to confession?" These concerns, like those of the Pharisees, fail to see the broader goal of a law or observance. It is true that some folks can get too casual about dispensing themselves from important observances because these are socially inconvenient, but that is not what Jesus is pointing to. In the past, Catholic catechesis emphasized the importance of law in Catholic life to the point that mercy and compassion almost disappeared in favor of getting a "light sentence" in confession. Mercy and compassion do not exclude occasional "tough love," and Jesus sometimes offers that, but his mercy and compassion are the goal of Christian life on earth. AMEN