1.21.14

Lectio: Mk 3.1-6                       

Meditatio: “They [the Pharisees] watched him closely to see if he [Jesus] would cure him on the sabbath so they might accuse him.” Mk 3.2     

Oratio: O God, the Pharisees, one of the  religious elites, were  responsible for enforcing the man-made Holiness Code and they became so extreme in interpreting it, that they held it bo unlawful to do healings on the sabbath for it was work.
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I remember Jesus confronted them head on and healed in front of them a man with a withered hand and asking them if it is lawful to do good on the sabbath or to do evil. Sadly, there response was to go out and immediately take counsel against him to put him to death. Obviously, in their view it was O.K. to kill an innocent man, one of the ten commandents of God,  but not to heal on the sabbath, one of their man made prohibition.

Grant that I may remember   the sabbath rest is not intended to be burdensome nor as an obstacle to do good but to help us to in our quest for holiness.

I ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what.
God is saying to you

Operatio:  reflect"watched...would cure”; sadly the religious elite were not really interested in doing or refrain from doing activities which help to make one holy but only seeking justification to eliminate opposition to the status quo and their power. In prayer seek the grace to be open-minded and not wedded to the status quo for in being open-minded, new horizons and new approaches may more readily be seen, evaluated and put into action if they enhance your quest for the holy.

Tomorrow's reading: Mk 3.7-12