FRIDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 12:1-8 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

"If you knew what this meant, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice 'you would not have condemned these innocent men." (Mt 12:7)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Book of Isaiah

Is 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8

When Hezekiah was mortally ill,

the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him:

"Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order,

for you are about to die; you shall not recover."

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD:

"O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly

I conducted myself in your presence,

doing what was pleasing to you!"

And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go, tell Hezekiah:

Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David:

I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.

I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD's temple;

I will add fifteen years to your life.

I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;

I will be a shield to this city."

Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken

and applied to the boil, that he might recover.

Then Hezekiah asked,

"What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?"

Isaiah answered:

"This will be the sign for you from the LORD

that he will do what he has promised:

See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun

on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz

go back the ten steps it has advanced."

So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 12:1-8

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 the 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."

FRIDAY OF THE FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - Mt 12:1-8

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God today teaches people two things:

- First: About God's Law and human law

God is the only one who makes laws, and God judges people according to His law; which is the law of Love, the most perfect and beautiful law. Human law helps complete things, but still has a certain limit, and especially does not bring people to eternal life like God's law gives. Therefore, today, God wants to remind people: do not rely on human laws to condemn or judge your brothers and sisters. Doing so is going against God's law.

  - Second: About the attitude or heart of man towards God the Father.

The Word of God says: "I want mercy, not sacrifice." God is powerful. He clearly understands all the thoughts and feelings of each human soul towards God and towards their fellow human beings. He knows clearly which soul is living the truth or living a lie, so no one can hide anything from the eyes of God the Father. So He reminded everyone: do not live a double-minded, two-faced life, because when God the Father calls people out of this world, they must stand before God's just and righteous judgment. Thus, anything good they did, any good words they speak, the angel will record. At the same time the accuser will open the book to record not a single dot or blemish missing, human sins.

  The Word of God today teaches people: to live honestly with God the Father, and with our brothers and sisters, that is to live with a simple, humble, self-effacing soul, small and lowly like a child. To live sincerely with all our heart of love and submission, glorifying God above all things and loving others as ourselves.

Because only with simplicity and humility can we obey God. With humility can we deny ourselves, die out our own ego, die to self-love in ourselves. Only with humility can we give up our own ideas and bow to the ground to serve our brothers and sisters. Humility is only recognizing our own sins and not seeing those of others. Humility is never condemning or judging anyone. It is just seeing that only God the Father reigns, and I am nothing. By living that, we will be perfectly aligned according to God's law of Love. We will have peace and happiness in this life and a full life with God the Father in Heaven in the future.

Thanks be to God. Amen