Ready Anytime, Anywhere

𝐎𝐂𝐓. 𝟐𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟖:𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟕

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟔𝟖: 𝟐,𝟒, 𝟔-𝟕, 𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟏 “𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟑:𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟕

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑮𝒐𝒅.” (𝒗.13) 

Let us begin this musing with a question: Why did the leader of the synagogue chastised Jesus when He healed a woman who had been crippled for 18 years and could not stand up straight?

Why? Because it was the Sabbath. It was a day when the Jews are barred from even lifting their hands and much more if they work and the Jews considered healing as part of a doctor’s profession.

Jesus, however, rebuked the leader of the synagogue and the other Rabbis present for their legalistic behavior and He used the word ‘hypocrite’ to let everyone present at the time to see the dichotomous attitude of the religious leaders in those days when their outward appearance of piety camouflage their unrighteousness precepts.     

What Jesus was saying in today’s Gospel in 𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟑:𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟕 was that an act of charity cannot be regulated as what the Pharisees were doing. And in using a very strong word against the head of the synagogue – “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔!” (𝒗.15) Jesus used a term that the Jews normally would only use at a person they would not want to be associated with since the word refers to those who are merely acting out or those who are pretending to be someone they are not. It points to a person who wears a mask to cover their feelings and emotions.

This was a terrible tag because it exposed the disordered rules and regulations the Pharisees have imposed relative to the practice of the faith that burdened the people and kept their attention from that which to Jesus was more important, for the people to know God and have a relationship with Him.

In this Gospel we see Jesus teaching in one of the synagogues and He took notice of a woman whose body was bent and filled with compassion, Jesus called the woman and simply said to her: “𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚” (𝒗.12). When He put his hands around the woman, she straightened up and praised God.

The leader of the synagogue was vexed because it was the Sabbath and the way Jesus retorted showed his irritability at the seeming arrogance of the head of the synagogue.

As with His previous encounters with the Pharisees, Jesus again cited the law of the Rabbis who allow the people to untie an ox or donkey out of their stall and lead the animals out to give it water. And we see Jesus at his best when He raised the issue of double standard in the way the Pharisees implement the law.

What this Gospel is telling us is that God’s compassion is not bound by time. God doesn't choose the time and or day when healing should take place because Our God will heal anyone according to his Will.

And the lesson from this gospel passage is that like Jesus, we should not procrastinate or put off for another day what we can do now. This means that if anyone comes to us and asks that we pray over them, we must jump at the opportunity because it means that God wants to use us at that particular time and to say no or defer it may be costly.

I knew of someone many years ago who was suffering from severe depression arising from a business deal that went sour. I made it a point to talk to the person everyday speaking words of encouragement and keep his spirits up. But there was one time I wasn’t able to talk to him when I went to the province to take care of some personal business.

I came home quite late and I immediately called up the person first thing the next morning. But I was told that my friend had committed suicide. I was shocked and grief struck me and the thought that I may have been remiss in my duties as a Christian also filled my mind.

In this Gospel, Jesus shows us that we must seize the opportunity to extend mercy to anyone in need even in the busyness of our lives. Jesus interrupted his teaching to heal the woman. This is what he is trying to impress upon us now and God demands that we spring into action to respond to the needs of anyone at any given time.

Under Paragraph No. 10 of the Closing Message from the Synodal Assembly in 2012 at the Vatican and with the heading: “The Gospel in dialogue with human culture and experience and with religions” the Synod of Bishops said that the New Evangelization is centered on Christ and on the care for the human person in order to give life to a real encounter with him.

The synod’s Closing Message added that the Gospel illuminates the suffering brought about by disease as it urges that all Christians must help the sick feel that the Church is near to persons with illness or with disabilities. Christians are urged to also thank all who take care of the sick professionally and humanely.

As God’s mercy knows no bounds, we too should not be bound by formalities when confronted with similar situations. As Christians are expected to be equipped with the gift of prayer and God commands us to make use of this gift at every opportunity.

This is also what happens when we come to Jesus and place ourselves in submission to his Will. Those who believe in Him are assured not only of eternal life but Jesus will heal those who are afflicted with various forms of sickness and diseases irrespective of the time and place.

Jesus healed on the Sabbath to drive home the message that God doesn’t rest. That we have a God who doesn't take a day off and who is on call 24/7, a God in Whom we can depend on in times of need.

And for us Christians who want to come after Him and who want to enter the Kingdom of God, this much is expected of us - that we must be available to anyone who is in need whenever and wherever. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔. 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘖𝘤𝘵. 27, 2025)