Gospel Commentary – September 6, 2025

Many years ago, I read a phrase—if I remember correctly, it was written by a Russian mystic from the early 20th century. I don’t recall the exact words, but I do remember the meaning, which struck me as profoundly true. It went something like this: the material bread that my hungry brother needs is the most spiritual reality I can imagine. That phrase helps me explain and understand today’s Gospel.

The disciples are hungry. It is a very simple need, very material. But it is absolutely necessary for life. Without food, there is no life. As simple as that. Faced with such urgency, no rule can stand in the way.

But the Pharisees are on a different wavelength. To begin with, they probably were not hungry themselves. From that more comfortable position, unlike those who were hungry, they looked at the disciples and judged them for breaking the rules. Because on the Sabbath it was forbidden to work—and in their rigorous interpretations of the Law, rubbing heads of grain to remove the husk and eat the kernels was considered work. From there, it was only a step to condemning them for breaking the Law.

This happened in Jesus’ time, but let’s be realistic: not so long ago—one or two centuries—rural parish priests would go after and accuse farmers who worked in their fields on Sundays. It didn’t matter if the harvest was ruined or if hunger threatened the family. What mattered was fulfilling the law of “keeping holy the Sabbath.”

Thankfully, Jesus makes it clear that laws exist to serve people, not the other way around. Thankfully, Jesus knows that in the Kingdom, the most important, the most urgent, the most spiritual thing is to respond to the need of the brother who is hungry. To all those who take delight in retreating into mysticism, pure contemplation, or silent meditation, it is worth remembering: there is nothing more spiritual than the bread my brother needs to satisfy his hunger.