September 06, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 437
Reading I
Col 1:24–2:3
I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his Body, which is the Church,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
For this I labor and struggle,
in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you
and for those in Laodicea
and all who have not seen me face to face,
that their hearts may be encouraged
as they are brought together in love,
to have all the richness of assured understanding,
for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Responsorial Psalm
62:6-7, 9
R. (8) In God is my safety and my glory.
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Alleluia
Jn 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Lk 6:6-11
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
REFLECTION:
Today we have the story of how Jesus has his priorities right. He wonderfully restored a withered hand to normality. The scribes and Pharisees are caught up with protocol and structures of the Law and miss the point completely of the need of someone who is handicapped.
Care of others should not be subject to rules and regulations, and Jesus elsewhere made this point that one should have pity even for an animal and release it from danger despite rules that may impede such acts of kindness. “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?” (Matthew 12:11).
PRAYER:
Lord, put heart and forgiveness and mercy into every prayer I utter. Take every last vestige of self-pity out of my concerns. Draw me more and more towards compassionate action for the weak and the suffering.
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