Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 19, 2024
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.”
How beautiful it is to be a disciple of the Lord. In today’s gospel, the Pharisees are primed and ready to judge external actions. They see a deviation from their law and are ready to pounce. What amazes me is that the disciples’ reaction to the rebuke is not even mentioned. Jesus is ready to defend. “Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath,” and must have known that “his disciples were hungry.” Seemingly, he led them to the field and wanted to satisfy their hunger with “heads of grain” on the Sabbath. What a beautiful foreshadowing of the Eucharist!
I have to admit, in a world of Goldfish crackers and sourdough bread, eating heads of grain does not sound very satisfying. Yet, in the choice to follow the Messiah, the disciples ate what they were given. I pray that our hunger and sense of satisfaction may follow suit.
When we feel threatened as the Pharisees did, may we search for peace in Christ rather than hungering to judge or humiliate. Like the Twelve, may we follow Jesus through the deserts, mountains, and fields of life. When we are anxious and unsure of what to do next, may the Holy Spirit help us to focus on Jesus, put one foot in front of the other, and believe that the Lord’s way is better than our own.
When it seems hard or counter-cultural to prioritize Mass on Sundays, help us to trust that your head-of-grain Sabbath food is the most important nourishment of our week. In this time of Eucharistic Revival, may our hearts and minds awaken to the simplicity of being a disciple. He leads, defends, and satisfies with himself. We simply follow.
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.
Saint of the Day
St. Justina and St. Ruffina were sisters who lived in late third-century Spain. They made their living by selling pottery, a trade they learned from their parents.
One day, a wealthy customer came in and made a generous offer for much of their earthenware. When they asked what his intention was, he told them that the pieces were to be used in pagan rituals. The sisters smashed all the pottery so that they would have no part in sacrificing to idols.
They were arrested for being Christians and for obstructing sacrifices to the gods. They boldly proclaimed their faith in Christ and were tortured and killed. During their torments, an idol was placed nearby with a bowl of incense—if they simply burned some incense to the idol, they would be released, but they refused.
It is possible that Justina was actually a male named Justus, but the historical record is unclear. The relics of both a St. Justina and St. Justus rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Justina, you were tortured and killed for refusing to associate your livelihood with sin—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Sts. Justina and Ruffina is in the public domain. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
