Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 18, 2025
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 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.”
In today’s gospel, Jesus chastises the Pharisees for not showing mercy before judgment. He quickly points out that the disciples should have every right to nourish themselves while doing God’s work, despite it being the Sabbath, and even uses examples from their own tradition and scripture as evidence. Ouch—roasted!
It’s like Jesus is saying, “Isn’t it obvious that my work transcends the rules you cling to?” Well, apparently it wasn’t obvious to the Pharisees. And while reading this passage, I have to admit I feel for them. I wonder why, when they spied Jesus and the disciples in the field, their first response was to assert their authority? Why couldn’t they see the big picture … what was going through their minds?
Maybe the Pharisees were threatened by the presence of this new prophet and his squad. Perhaps they were envious of the work the disciples were doing and the attention it garnered. Maybe they were just acting on autopilot, repeating behaviors their community valued and expected of them. Whatever it was, that day in the field, the Pharisees were unable to see what was truly transpiring in front of them.
Reading this gospel and putting myself in the Pharisees’ shoes, I can’t help but wonder what blocks my view? What am I not seeing that God wants or needs me to see? Are there times I allow judgment, jealousy, religiosity, or ego to narrow my focus and miss the point? Undeniably, the answer is yes, and this gospel is our reminder that God calls us daily to consider that which blocks our view and to take a second look. Jesus spells it out plainly for the Pharisees as he does for us: in all things, lead with mercy.
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. Camillus de Lellis was a gambling soldier who lost everything before he decided to dedicate his life to caring for the sick.
He was born in Italy in 1550 and grew to be a large man—he stood six and a half feet tall. When he turned 17, his father allowed him to accompany him to fight with the Venetians against the Turks.
While in battle, Camillus contracted a disease in his leg that would trouble him all his life. He was admitted to a hospital, both as a patient and to work there as a staff member, but he caused a lot of trouble and disturbances and was released. He returned to the war and lived the life of a soldier.
Among his vices was gambling. He was addicted to games of chance and was always in a state of need because he lost money. By the time he was 24, he had lost everything—his money, his equipment as a soldier, even the clothes off his back and was living on the streets.
At one point earlier in his life, when he was filled with remorse for some mistake, he made a vow to join the Franciscans. He went to them and found employment helping them to construct a building. A Franciscan brother had a conversation with him about the course of his life, and he was struck with a firm commitment to change. He was moved to tears and prayed to God for mercy. From that time on, he lived a life of penance.
He tried to join the Franciscans, but they would not accept him because of his diseased leg. He returned to the hospital where he had helped people before, and dedicated himself to serving the sick. Over time, he was given responsibility for the whole hospital.
At the time, hospitals were far from being top-of-the-line facilities. There was little that medicine could offer the sick, and not many people wanted to be in contact with people who were ill. Staff were difficult to find, and many times, even criminals were hired to perform basic services. Camillus wanted to staff his hospital with people who could devote themselves to serving the sick out of love.
He gathered several followers and made a fresh start by establishing his own hospital. These men cared for the sick in every way—making their beds, caring for wounds, helping them die a holy death. They began to focus on caring for those suffering from the plague, prisoners, and victims of war. A number of his followers died from diseases that they were treating in others.
To serve the spiritual needs of patients, Camillus was ordained a priest. Throughout his life, he suffered from many physical problems. His leg never healed, and he developed a hernia. One of his feet developed sores, which caused great pain. For a long time before his death, his digestive tract fell into disorder—he could not retain food. Through all of this, though, he always deferred care, instructing people to care for others instead. When he could not walk on his own, he would crawl through the hospital to check on other people and offer them whatever he could.
By the time of his death, Camillus had established eight hospitals and 15 communities of brothers and priests. His holiness became known through his gifts of prophecy and healing. He died at the age of 64 and was named the patron saint of the sick and of nurses. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Camillus de Lellis, the gambling soldier who became the patron saint of the sick and of nurses—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Camillus de Lellis is in the public domain. Last accessed March 20, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
