The sabbath day Christ would not forbear doing good,

though he knews the Pharisees would carp and cavil at it,

nor omit any opportunity of helping and healing the distressed

calumniate and reproach him for it; it being the constant guise of hypocrites,

to prefer ceremonial and ritual observation, before necessary and moral duties.

 

 St. Martin de Porres, religious

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Romans 9:1-5

I tell you sincerely,

In Christ, and my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit that I am not lying: I have great sadness and constant anguish for the Jews. I would even desire that I myself suffer the curse of being cut off from Christ, instead of my brethren: I mean my own people, my kin. They are Israelites whom God adopted, and on them rests his glory. Theirs are the Covenants, the Law, the worship and the promises of God. They are descendants of the Patriarchs and from their race Christ was born, he who as God is above all distinctions. Blessed be He forever and ever: Amen!

 

Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem,

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊     

Luke 14:1-6

One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched. In front of him was a man suffering from dropsy; so Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But no one answered. Jesus then took the man, healed him and sent him away. And he addressed them, "If your lamb or your ox falls into a well on a Sabbath day, who among you doesn't hurry to pull it out?" And they could not answer.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Let us work to end all antisemitism." 

Paul affirms that the Jews, the people of Israel, are God's chosen people. God has a long relationship with his people, bound by law and covenant, strengthened by the patriarchs and prophets. Sometimes, people in our day forget this special relationship. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, all the apostles, and Paul himself were Jews.

 

Most of the early members of the Church were Jews as well. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles preached to Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. Much of the early preaching recounted in the Acts of the Apostles was centered on the temple in Jerusalem and local synagogues. 

 

In our days, as incidents of antisemitic hatred and violence increase around the world, it is important that we remember that the Jewish people are God's chosen people, our elder brothers and sisters in faith in the one true God. As such, we should treat them with love and respect. Let us work to end all antisemitism so that God's people may continue to love in fidelity to the covenant.