Homily For Saturday Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 9th September, 2023

Readings: Col. 1:21-23 Ps.54; Luke 6:1-5

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia

LET LOVE, JUSTICE AND MERCY BE THE BASIS FOR THE MAKING AND INTERPRETATION OF EVERY LAW

 

Due to the weak and fragile nature of the human person, God made very good and practical laws which he wanted his people to obey, but as time went on, these laws were multiplied, turned upside down and misinterpreted in such a way that they were very complex and difficult to obey.

 

God's law is the law of love, justice, mercy and freedom for he describes himself as merciful and compassionate God. This freedom enables us to follow the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law. Therefore, Jesus comes to brings people back to the original intention of the law. He did not come to abolish the law, but to show what God’s original intention was concerning the law.

 

 This is what our Gospel passage is addressing today. Where on a Sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry? And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the Sabbath.’

 

Here, Jesus made it known to the Pharisees that they had made the Sabbath too stressful for the people, they are nothing but fault-finders and self-righteous people. For the Law was interpreted by the elders and the priests, which they passed down as strict sets of rules and regulations that restricted the activities of the people on the Sabbath.

 

This often makes many people to forget the very reason, purpose and essence of Sabbath itself. Because the Law was strictly enforced on the people, and those who do not obey, were often treated with dishonour just as the Pharisees did to Jesus and his disciples. This is because the Pharisees are known for  their judgmental and comparative attitude which makes them to feel superior over others.

 

And this ugly attitude is what St. Paul is addressing in our first reading when he said: you were foreigners and enemies, in the way that you used to think and the evil things that you did; but now the Lord has reconciled you, by Christ’s death. So that you can now be able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless, as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid faith and keep to what is written.

 

 Dear friends, today Jesus teaches us the original intention of the Sabbath laws in relation to human needs. That we should not be legalistic with the law, rather we should identify the spirit of the law which is rooted in love, justice and mercy, and then follow it. For this is what Jesus and his disciples did when for the sake of their basic human need for survival, go against the ceremonial Sabbath day regulations of not plucking the grain or doing any work.

 

Also, we are called not to be judgmental, fault-finders and self-righteous people like the Pharisees who under the cover of the law planned to judge and condemned the action of Jesus and his disciples. Therefore, we should rather humble ourselves and focus our attention to what God really want from us which is to love him and to love our neighbours as well.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, oftentimes, we condemn and judge people based on what the law states without examining and applying the essence and spirit of the law, grant that in our relationship with others, we may begin to apply the true law which is rooted in love, justice and mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a favourable and peaceful weekend.