CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (1)

CYCLE II: HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: The Lord of the Sabbath

BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon

HOMILY: (Lk. 6:1-5) Saturday of the Twenty Sexond Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel Jesus gives a lesson on the Sabbath. It is a law to honour the Lord on the day of the Sabbath by not working, or refrain from doing works enumerated in the Torah. But for Jesus, these laws are not absolute. In cases where the welfare of man, and even animals, are at stake, the Sabbath gives way. God wants us to assess the situtation in front of us and always decide to love. It is a discipline we have to imbibe if we are to remain in His love.

Discipline is part of believing. Fasting is a discipline in the Christian Faith. By fasting, we manage our bodily desires. We are not enslaved by our hunger, thirst, discomfort, tiredness, etc. We continue to live. In the process, the devil, whose temptations involve those needs, is thwarted. We know that there is life beyond our wants and needs. In our emptiness, God comes to fill us and reminds us that He alone can satisfy us. Jesus did that. He emptied Himself (Kenosis) even of His divinity and embraced our humanity. Even death had no power over Him who is life. God is in control. God is supreme over everything even of the Sabbath.

The Pharisees, who were tasked to teach this discipline dwelt more on the external and physical aspects of fasting. Fasting has become a show, something to be done for the sake of doing it, and obligation. Together with the other teachings of God, the spirit and essence of the law were taken for granted if not lost. Discipline for the purpose of teaching our bodies to not easily succumb to sin was forgotten. Jesus saw that dilution of the law. Thus, in the Gospel, He taught it’s essence by pointing out that life does not stop on Sabbath. Rather, fasting and working less should come from the conviction to be independent of the world and dependent on God.