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Today, 4th of December, we celebrate
Saint John Damascene
First Reading: 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.
Responsorial Psalm: Is 38:10,11,12,16
R./ You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years.”
R./ You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, “I shall see the LORD no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world.”
R./ You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
My dwelling, like a shepherd’s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
You have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
R./ You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Those live whom the LORD protects;
yours is the life of my spirit.
You have given me health and life.
R./ You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 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."
Dancing before the Lord
Repetitively in the Gospels, Jesus is depicted as breaking the sacred law of the Sabbath, therule to rest on the seventh day. For instance, he frequently heals on the Sabbath, much to the disapproval of the upholders of Jewish law. In today’s Gospel, following his disciples’ act of harvesting grain on the Sabbath, Jesus proclaims himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath.” When only Yahweh could be given the title “Lord of the Sabbath,” what is Jesus suggesting?
Jesus cited two instances from their history as documented in the scriptures to prove that their interpretation of the Law of Sabbath was wrong. The first was about David and his soldiers entering God’s house and consuming the loaves of bread meant for God because they were hungry. This act was prohibited for anyone apart from the priests. Secondly, Jesus highlighted that the priests on temple duty not only worked on the Sabbath but also worked more than usual on that day, just as the priests do today on Sundays. Nonetheless, they are not accused of violating the Sabbath!
Today’s Gospel passage highlights that Small-mindedness and legalism can easily infect our Catholic life. Obviously, our legalistic attitudes towards matters of faith are at the root of a lot of divisions in the Church.
The rubrics often take precedence, causing us to overlook the importance of showing love. At the Diocese’s commissioning Mass for World Youth Day 2023, the delegates presented a dance within the church. Critics exclaimed, “Dancing is forbidden inside the church as it is a sacred place!” If our youth are not allowed to dance in front of God, where else can they express themselves in this manner? Our attendance at Mass would hold no value if we were unwilling to show forgiveness and compassion towards our fellow believers.
Biblie Claret
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you want us to seek security
not in observing the letter of the law
but to seek the insecurity
of committing ourselves to you and to people
in mercy and service.
Give us the courage to take the risk
and, like Jesus, to make the sacrifice
of giving ourselves to you
in our neighbor in need,
of sharing in their joys and sorrows,
their problems and their protests,
that we may know and serve them
as you know and serve us
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
Introduction to the First Reading
In response to the insistent prayer of King Hezekiah God heals the king and postpones his death so that he can finish what he intended to do in the service of his people.
Introduction to the Gospel
Laws are not above the service to people, for the service of God does not contradict the love and mercy to be shown to people. Laws, commandments are based on the freedom God has brought to us in Christ.
Intentions
- That people everywhere be given the time to rest, to recover from the pressure of their work, and have the opportunity to worship God, we pray:
- That the faithful who go to Mass on Sundays will behave as Christians also on weekdays, we pray:
- That Sunday may be to all of us a special occasion to grow in love for those who are dear to us, to visit the sick and to serve the needy, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
this bread and this wine will become
the Lamb of God, Jesus, your Son.
We remember that he shed his blood
that our sins may be forgiven.
Let him be our food and drink today
that we may pass with him from death to life
and that we may truly be your people,
born to be free
and to make one another free
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, God of the living,
we have eaten the Passover meal
of your people of the new covenant.
Let Jesus help us to live
the great commandment of love
not so much as an order to be obeyed
but as a free gift to people
of our time, our attention and our very selves,
by the strength of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Of course, there are commandments. But the Lord himself tells us that they may never stand in the way of mercy and of the loving service of people. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
