Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 17, 2020
Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.”
He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests.
“Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
I’ve never had the opportunity to commit a full year of my life to service, but I have always felt a deep calling to serve the poor as the foundation of my spiritual life. I have volunteered at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food banks, and Catholic Worker communities over the years in the various places I have lived.
One of the things I have observed is that many of the people whom I serve eat on the move. They eat whatever is at hand, when they are hungry, and they keep moving. They often do not have the option of eating when and where they choose, as many of us do. This seems to be the situation Jesus and his disciples find themselves in today. They are on the move on the sabbath and they are hungry. Once again, we see that Jesus aligns himself with the circumstances of the poor. The disciples subsistence level grain harvest violates the sabbath rest and draws the criticism of the Pharisees. They seem to imply: why aren’t you in your homes? Why aren’t you eating your own food? Why haven’t your families prepared your sabbath meals ahead of time?
For the disciples, following Jesus meant giving up these aspects of normal life. This reading invites me to consider how I might defy some social norms and sacrifice some of my own comforts to follow Jesus on the path of discipleship. Can I feel a spiritual hunger to follow Christ, just like the disciples felt hunger on the sabbath as they walked beside him? Can I glean the presence of God from the world around me as I serve those in need just like the disciples plucked grain from the stalk on the sabbath?
Prayer
My God, Our Father, may your grace always remind us that we must learn to see our lives as invitations to show mercy and to give our love. Whatever we are obliged to do or expected to do matters less than what we are given to do by your inspiration over and beyond the minimum of the “letter of the law.” We pray with the Church through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Alexis is a saint who is half-legend, half-man.
Despite his uncertain history, he is depicted in a mural in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart because he is patron of the Pipcus Fathers, who are known as the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Holy Cross priests are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and wanted to encourage as many other examples of that devotion as possible.
We are told that St. Alexis lived in fifth century Syria and took on the life of a beggar. He was known to be of great virtue, and is honored as a saint. This is the most reliable information we have about him.
An early writer told his story with more detail, referring to Alexis simply as “the Man of God.” Legend has it that Alexis was the only son of a wealthy Roman senator, and had every advantage in the ancient world because of this citizenship. He renounced all of this, though, and begged for food at the doors of a church. He shared all of what he received with other poor people, only taking for himself what was left over.
He got sick and was cared for in a hospital, and he told an attendant his life story. When he died, he was buried in a mass grave. His story got passed around the city, and when the bishop heard that he was a Roman citizen, he ordered Alexis’ body exhumed for proper burial. All they found was his ragged clothing. The saint’s supposed Roman heritage led to his popularity. His story and veneration spread because people identified with him and were moved by his example.
St. Alexis, you gave up a life of privilege to live among the poor and care for the forgotten—pray for us!