Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 24, 2022
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
It is easy for me to relate to the disabled woman in today’s gospel. At 18, I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness, which currently has no cure.
As the years have passed, my muscles have gradually become weaker, making simple tasks like standing up from a chair increasingly difficult. It is a daily burden and a limitation on my life, similar to the crippled woman.
I can only imagine how it must have felt for her to hear the words, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity!” She felt pure, unabashed joy at finally having the yolk of her disease lifted and, not surprisingly, was not concerned about the timing of her healing. The overwhelming thankfulness, relief, and hope she felt at this moment is why she glorified God immediately.
Unfortunately, the synagogue’s leader did not empathize with the woman as he gave his myopic critique of Jesus for curing on the Sabbath.
I admit that I can also relate to this chronic rule-follower, forgetting those that may be silently suffering from an unknown affliction. In this gospel, Jesus stresses the importance of balancing adherence to rules with care for others and notes that while rules are a vital aspect of one’s faith life, they should not overshadow our concern for our fellow neighbors.
Today, I invite us to reflect on circumstances in our lives where we could show more empathy towards others. Like Jesus, may we balance following the rules of our faith with compassion.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we come before you, stooped and burdened with troubles, worries, and fears. We look to you for healing, for assistance, or at the very least for the hope that healing and help will come. Let nothing in our hearts stand in your way. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Anthony Mary Claret led a colorful life as a popular preacher in Spain and Archbishop of Cuba, even surviving an assassination attempt and then pleading for the life of his attacker.
Anthony was born in Spain in 1807, the son of a weaver. He grew up practicing his father’s trade, and studied Latin and printing in his spare time. At the age of 22, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest in 1835.
He had a desire to serve in the foreign missions, but his health failed and he was encouraged to focus his efforts on evangelizing the people of his native Spain. He began to preach parish missions and give retreats throughout his home region.
His zeal inspired other priests. He gathered a number together and established a new religious order, the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who are now known as Claretians. The order spread through Spain and beyond.
Soon after this success, he was appointed Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba. It was difficult work reforming the Church in Cuba, which had fallen into disorder, and he encountered deep resistance. In fact, on several occasions, he was nearly assassinated.
In one case, a man seriously wounded Anthony because he blamed him for the loss of his mistress, who had converted her life and left him. Anthony interceded for the man in court, however, and saved him from a death sentence.
In 1857, Anthony returned to Spain to serve the queen. He refused to reside in the court, however, and spent as much time as he could preaching to ordinary people and spreading good reading literature throughout his home region. He is responsible for founding Barcelona’s Libreria Religiosa, now known as the Claret Library, which played a large role in preserving and enhancing Catholic culture in Spain.
Anthony preached 10,000 homilies and published more than 200 books or pamphlets to teach the faith. While in charge of an institution of higher education, he established science laboratories, a museum of natural history, as well as schools of music and languages.
Beyond his impressive intellect, Anthony gave his heart to God. As he grew in holiness, he was given the gifts of prophecy and healing, and his prayer often placed him in ecstasy and rapture.
At the end of his life, he was exiled with the queen to Rome. He did not cease his ministry, however, and he attended the first Vatican council and helped to define the teaching of papal infallibility. He died on this date in 1870.
St. Anthony Mary Claret is patron saint of those who work with textiles and in the Catholic press. His relics rest in the Basilica reliquary chapel.
St. Anthony Mary Claret, you supported the Catholic press and are the spiritual father of Cuba—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Anthony Mary Claret is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.