Daily Gospel Reflection for September 3, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Kerri Baunach

Today's Gospel: Luke 6:1-5

I sometimes wonder if the Gospel writers enjoyed telling stories about the Pharisees' futile attempts to put Jesus in his place. Of course, it is a major part of the story, but it must still have been fun to share the stories of the Pharisees struggling to “catch” Jesus in breaking the Jewish laws.

In the case we have in today’s Gospel passage, Luke reports of the disciples picking the heads of grain to eat on the sabbath. The Pharisees try to trap them on a technicality. According to the Jewish sabbath laws, reaping, among other things, was not allowed. However, just picking off the heads of grain was not considered reaping and therefore was allowed if one was hungry. Jesus points this out when relaying the story of David. The Pharisees lose again!

What struck me most in this passage is Jesus’ words at the end:

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

I think this statement is very powerful. It is a good reminder of the importance of the sabbath and using that time to be focused on God. In order to properly “keep holy the sabbath day,” we should be doing more than just attending Mass. If Jesus, the Son of Man, is lord of the sabbath, we should spend more time in prayer and more time with our family. The day should be focused on God. We need not go overboard with what we should not do or we may find ourselves too focused on the letter of the law as the Pharisees were. Instead let the focus be on Jesus and the things that bring us closer to Him: Mass, prayer, family time, and rest.

Ponder:

What can you do to help focus your Sundays more on God and family so as to keep holy the sabbath?

Pray:

Dear Lord God in heaven, thank You for the gift of a day of rest to focus our attention on Your love for us. Help us to keep that day set aside for You.

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What struck me most is Jesus’ words: “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” It is a good reminder of the importance of the sabbath and using that time to be focused on God. #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Kerri Baunach

Kerri Baunach lives in Lexington, KY with her husband and three boys. She’s a Benedictine Oblate with the Archabbey of St. Meinrad in Indiana, homeschools her boys part-time through a hybrid school, and is a former writer and editor at CatholicSistas.com.