GOSPEL: MT 12:1-8
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JESUS was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
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The Gospel again focuses us on the centrality of mercy in Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus declares, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
This message brings us back to Pope Francis’ January 2015 visit to the Philippines, which centered on the theme: Mercy and compassion. As noted by the Philippine bishops in their pastoral letter, “The Holy Father has clearly laid out his wish that the main objective of his visit is to bring Christ’s compassion for our suffering people, still struggling to rise from the devastation wrought by the earthquake and typhoon.”
Archbishop Socrates Villegas observed, “Our compassionate shepherd comes to show his deep concern for our people who have gone through devastating calamities, especially in the Visayas. He comes to confirm us in our faith as we face the challenges of witnessing the Joy of the Gospel in the midst of our trials. This is an eloquent way of showing mercy and compassion.” Indeed, for Pope Francis, “Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life… the beating heart of the Gospel” (MV, 10-12). How do I fulfill my “mission of mercy” in today’s world?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 8957328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
