The right disposition towards Sabbath
1 Corinthians 4:6-15; Psalm 145; Luke 6:1-5
Luke 6:1-5 highlights the ongoing discussion about sabbath observance. At first, it appeared that the problem was with working on the Sabbath, even for a worthy cause, but it soon evolved into something far more serious. It evolved into a query on Jesus’ identity. Jesus raised the stakes in the argument to a higher and more hazardous level by claiming to be the “Lord of the Sabbath.” As a result, the Pharisees were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus (Lk. 6:11). As the Lord of the Sabbath, love is his message not law. He did not abolish the law, rather he ensured that the laws are informed by love. Love God above all things!
St. Gregory the Great whose memorial we celebrate today maintained a humble sense of mission as a servant and pastor of souls. He saw himself as the “servant of the servants of God.” He was the first of all Popes to popularize the now-traditional Papal title, which was carved out from Christ words “the last of all and the servant of all.” He reformed and solidified the Roman liturgy, the disciplines of the Church, the military and economic security of Rome and the Church’s influence in Western Europe. Through his prayers may we always have the right disposition towards worship and missionary mandate. Amen.
Let us pray
Lord, help us not to become too institutionalized and constitutionalized by the accumulated man-made traditions that we fail to keep our eyes on you to see your purpose. Keep our feet ready and free to follow you wherever you lead. Amen.
