Sunday Funday | October 26, 2015

October 26, 2015

They still didn’t get it. At this rate, soon the Pharisees will ban breathing on the Sabbath. Work is labor that we do to bring in income to sustain our lives with food, shelter, clothing, etc. Work is a blessing that affords us comfort and yes, we should rest from it on the Sabbath so that we can replenish our bodies, our attitudes, and our souls. Resting from work is good and right and exactly what God wants, however, the commandment says “Keep ‘holy’ the Sabbath day.” That seems to have a different sound to it than don’t do any work doesn’t it? I always find this commandment ironic in my own life because as someone who works for the church, my busiest “work” day is indeed Sunday. What’s up with that? Well just because I “work” does not mean that I do not keep Sunday holy. In fact, my “work” on Sundays hopefully promotes holiness and focuses on passing that onto others, particularly the youth.

There is a big difference between a job and a vocation and today’s gospel is an example of Jesus continuing to live his earthly vocation most especially on the Sabbath! Fr. Bruce always says that “there is no vacation from vocation” and Jesus makes that clear for us today. Since we are all called to holiness, he points out that we are never to rest from fighting sin (and Satan), but also in an indirect way he admonishes the Pharisees for doing just that…even resting from God’s work on the Sabbath and that is unacceptable. They knew he was right and Luke tells us that they were humiliated while the crowd celebrated the fact that Jesus made the distinction between labor and love.

We are never to rest from living in love, and sometimes that requires that we reach out to those in need, especially on days set aside for holiness. In fact, the Sabbath should be a day of extra kindness, peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, if we are truly following the command to keep it holy. Holiness is not a knickknack to be kept on a shelf, it requires action. The good news is that the action of holiness comes directly from our resting in the arms of grace as received in the Eucharist and through the Word on the Sabbath day. The more we rest in grace, the more holy we will become.

I know that I am often tempted to scrutinize people for little things like not paying perfect attention in mass, or not singing the songs, or not looking happy enough when they receive Communion, or worshiping the Chargers on Sunday, but today’s gospel reminds me that God’s “work”, which is the practice of loving others and inviting them to holiness through my example and authentic piety (not my scrutiny), never really rests. If I focus on resting in grace every Sunday then keeping it holy will be a treasure for my soul and everything else will radiate out from that center. Now that should be the true meaning of Sunday Funday!!!

Reading 1 ROM 8:12-17

Brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

Responsorial Psalm PS 68:2 AND 4, 6-7AB, 20-21

R. (21a) Our God is the God of salvation.
God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.
Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.
R. Our God is the God of salvation.

Alleluia JN 17:17B, 17A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.