Shanborlang Mawrie csc –
Readings: Col 1:21-23; Lk 6:1-5
Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the mercy and compassion of God. St. Paul says that the mercy and compassion of God are flowing upon the Colossians, with a purpose to purify and sanctify them and to create a new life that is holy and blameless.
In the gospel, we see the mercy and compassion of God in the words of Jesus, who says that responding to the needs of our brothers and sisters is more important for God than rules and rituals. As Christians, our lives are meant to celebrate and liberate others, not to enslave them.
At any moment in our lives, we need to be alerted to listen and attend to the needs of others who are crying for help. The problem we see in the gospel is that the scribes and Pharisees who are supposed to liberate the people, enslaved them on the observation of the Sabbath by neglecting human needs.
Jesus teaches that our Christian life is not to celebrate the Sabbath day, but to live and put into practice the merciful and compassionate nature of God in the way we treat our neighbours. Article 16 of the Constitutions of Holy Cross says, “Wherever we work we assist others not only to recognize and develop their gifts but also to discover the deepest longing in their lives.”