MASTER OF THE SABBATH

PRAYER MOMENT  

Saturday 5 September 2015, the anniversary of John Bradburne of Mutemwa’s death (1979)

MASTER OF THE SABBATH

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “The Son of Man is master of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5)

Reflection. We know that controversies over the Sabbath recur frequently in the gospel. The Sabbath was a well established tradition and its observance was a practical test of whether one was a good Jew. But for Jesus it was a sign of where a person’s heart was. The Sabbath had a purpose but outward conformity to it was never to take the place of its inner meaning. One version of this text, which was not accepted but till throws light on it, reads, “On the same day, seeing a man working on the Sabbath, Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, if you know what you are doing you are blessed, but if you do not know you are accursed as a breaker of the law.’”

Prayer. Lord, help us understand the meaning of the law and that it must never take the place of mercy. Assist all those who gather next month in Rome to discuss the family, to find their way to temper law with compassion. Amen.