Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 12, 2019
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
“Any support you might have had from me is qorban“‘
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”
At Mass today, we read the story of creation to set the scene for the Gospel. When reading Genesis, I do not automatically envision beautiful sunrises, the flapping wings of a hummingbird, nor the tiny fingernails of a newborn. Instead, my initial focus always turns to the final phrase “On the seventh day, God rested.” Wait—what? A whole day of rest? No way!
Like many, my life is often filled with chaos. At one point, we had four kids in soccer: my husband Michael was coaching one team, I was coaching another. Both of us were in graduate school. And we were pregnant with child number five. During one of the busiest times in our lives, it seemed there was no rest for the weary.
In the hectic world we live in, the image of taking a whole day of rest seems wrong somehow. Yet how arrogant of me to assume that my time is more valuable than God’s. Honestly, it is hard to imagine that God would need to rest, but he apparently considered it important. Why don’t I?
In the Gospel, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for observing the commandments but not truly dedicating their hearts or their time to God. God’s plan for me includes dedicating time to appreciate this amazing, crazy, sometimes difficult life he has given me.
Like healthy eating and exercise, a day of rest gives us an opportunity to refresh our bodies and renew our spirits in Christ. In the coming weeks and for the rest of our lives, I hope we can all remember to dedicate time to the rest that God commands of us— especially during the times we are most weary—so that we might find beauty within ourselves, within others, and within this sacred world we live in.
Prayer
God, bring our hearts close to you. There is much in this world that makes us feel steady and in control, but we know that ultimately our strength will fail and our grasp on the things in our lives will not stand the test of time. Only you, Lord, are unmoving, solid and sure.
And yet, you give us an example that is flexible and open, a witness that loves through thick and thin and will not become calcified or rigid. Soften our hearts to love in that way and bring our hearts close to you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Meletius of Antioch is an important early Christian saint, who became bishop of one of the largest and most ancient congregations of Christianity—the Syrian city of Antioch.
Meletius was born in Armenia in the first half of the fourth century. Meletius was born into a distinguished family, leading him to seek a distinguished ecclesial office in the church. Meletius was appointed the bishop of the Christian city of Sebaste.
During the fourth century, debates over the divinity of Christ raged throughout Eastern and Western Christianity. Antioch was, for a long time, a stronghold of orthodox Christianity, where Christians believed in Christ's two natures—divine and human—united in the one person of Jesus.
Meletius resisted both the rise of Arianism and the Eastern emperor, Constantius II, who supported the Arian Christians. During these ecclesial bickerings, the important Christian city of Antioch was being pulled between many different bishops. The people of Antioch were divided between these heretical bishops vying for the see. Finally, they appointed Meletius, who was an orthodox Christian, but who focused mostly on the moral Christian life and living a life of Christian charity in imitation of the saints of the Hebrew Scriptures. The divided people of Antioch admired their saintly bishop and adhered to his example.
Meletius became known as a hero among the faithful in Antioch, for uniting the church that had been divided by heresies. The good bishop Meletius anointed one of Antioch's most famous bishops, John Chrysostom, a deacon. John Chrysostom later praised him in one of his homilies, eulogizing him for his great wisdom and his calm and holy leadership. Meletius died while attending the Second Council of Constantinople in 381.
St. Meletius of Antioch, faithful bishop, and shepherd of a divided people—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Meletius is in the public domain. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
