|
|
|
9th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 2:23—3:6 |
||
| Background: The two stories in today’s selection address the question of what is appropriate Sabbath behavior for the disciples of Jesus and for Jesus himself. Since the details about what was the specific way to observe the Sabbath were not spelled out in the law, different religious teachers assumed the role of interpreting what was allowed. In both instances, Jesus answers the murmuring of the questioning Pharisees with his own questions, exposing how their interpretations ignored the true meaning of the Sabbath and led to their hardness of heart. Though the Sabbath refers to a specific day, some religious leaders, then as now, often fail to see that the Sabbath (church rules) are made to assist believers. Many religious leaders -- as well as some laity -- do not seem to understand that hard and fast regulations become obstacles to experiencing Divine Love. Does the Lord grieve at our hardness of heart when we are rigid in our interpretation of God’s will and judgmental of those who don’t do it our way? |
read the padre |
|
 |
Story: Once upon a time not too very long ago, the associate pastor in a suburban parish received a call from a man wanting to have his brother buried from the church. When the priest agreed and asked what day they wished to have the mass, there was silence at the other end of the phone. Thinking that they might have been disconnected, the priest asked, "Are you still there?" The man responded, "Yes, I am. I just wondered if you had any questions you wanted answered before you would agree to do the service. Surprised by the question, the young priest thought for a moment and then asked, "Is he dead yet?" The caller then told the priest the problems he had encountered when seeking a Catholic burial for his brother." The pastor at one place I called said he couldn’t bury him because he was divorced, even though he had never remarried. At another place, the liturgy coordinator said we could not bring in outside musicians or vocalists even though my son is a tenor in the city Opera Company. At my own parish they said they only do funerals for registered members. The parish council had ruled that allowing outsiders to make use of the church for weddings and funerals took too much of the priests’ and lay staffs time. I know my brother hasn’t been the most faithful Catholic; but he has been going to church lately. He never got around to joining a parish. I think he deserves a church burial and it will mean so much to my mother." The young priest suggested his caller come in and they would work out the funeral arrangement. A few weeks later, the deceased man’s daughter phoned the priest and thanked him for the wonderful funeral and asked if she and her husband could register at his church. |
|
