What I want is mercy, not sacrifice,

Welcome to my blog.

You will find here the daily readings from the Bible, chosen for us by the Catholic Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

If we set aside a regular time each day to read, meditate and pray over the readings, we will receive the fruits of peace and joy. The Holy Spirit who inspired the passage in the first place, will inspire you too as you read in faith.

A prayerful reflection is given. I hope you may find it helpful.

Friday 17 July 2020

What I want is mercy, not sacrifice,

Ps 16:15

As for me, in justice I shall behold your face;

I shall be filled with the vision of your glory.

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Prayer

O God, who show the light of your truth

to those who go astray,

so that they may return to the right path,

give all who for the faith they profess

are accounted Christians

the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ

and to strive after all that does it honour.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

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First reading

Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8

The Lord hears Hezekiah's prayer and heals him

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.”’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, ‘Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah shed many tears.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord.” I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.”’

‘Bring a fig poultice,’ Isaiah said, ‘apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.’ Hezekiah said, ‘What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?’ ‘Here’ Isaiah replied’’ ‘is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.’ And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflexion

Yesterday the prophet Isaiah prayed: The path of the upright man is straight,

you smooth the way of the upright. Today we see this enacted in the life of Hezekiah. He is one of the great kings of Jerusalem. He is sick and God sends Isaiah to him. Isaiah tells him his time has come but Hezekiah humbly prays. God hears his prayer and gives him another fifteen years of life. He ruled for 29 years and was a good and holy ruler. It was in his time that God spared Jerusalem from the Assyrian threat. The people of Jerusalem would see the fall of Assyria.

Are you able to relax in the knowledge that God is your loving Father?

Can you believe that in his own way, he will look after his children more than any earthly father?

 Psalm

Isaiah 38:10-12,16

The canticle of Hezekiah

You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

I said, ‘So I must go away,

my life half spent,

assigned to the world below

for the rest of my years.’

You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

I said, ‘No more shall I see the Lord

in the land of the living,

no more shall I look upon men

within this world.

You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

‘My home is pulled up and removed

like a shepherd’s tent.

Like a weaver you have rolled up my life,

you cut it from the loom.

You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

.

‘For you, Lord, my heart will live,

you gave me back my spirit;

you cured me, kept me alive,

changed my sickness into health.’

You have held back my life, O Lord, from the pit of doom.

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Ps26:11

Alleluia, alleluia!

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;

on an even path lead me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 12:1-8

The Son of Man is master of the sabbath

Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them. The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath.’ But he said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone? Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it? Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

The Sabbath day was a day on which the Jews were to realise that they were the chosen people of God: that created by God and dependent on him for everything, they should put aside their daily work and turn to God explicitly. They needed to work daily in order to preserve their life. One day in the week, they would put this aside and live out the fact they were the chosen ones of Yahweh. Thy would not work, nor do what they would normally do such as journeying, or any kind of work they would usually do for a living. They would go to the synagogue and all together, they would praise God, listen to his word and have fellowship.

All the same, they were still in the world. There were activities which could not be avoided. People needed clear guidance on what they could do and what they couldn’t do on the Sabbath. The scribes and the teachers of the Law did this. One work they said was forbidden was harvesting. The disciples are plucking ears of corn. It can be called harvesting. The Pharisees who saw it complain that they are breaking the Sabbath.

That may be their interpretation. Jesus is the one who decides what is breaking or keeping the Sabbath. He is Lord of the Sabbath. Indeed, he is Lord of everything. He alone is the Teacher of the world. He tells us what God wants. In our daily life, God wants mercy. Mercy, let us remember, is to love those who do not deserve our love. Mercy is to forgive those who do not deserve to be forgiven. Jesus loves and forgives us who nailed him to the Cross and left him to die in anguish. More than the leper, he embraces us, the real executioners. This for him is keeping the Sabbath.

Do you keep the Sabbath, whether it be Saturday or Sunday?

Ps 83: 4-5

The sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for her young:

by your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are they who dwell in your house,

for ever singing your praise.

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Father in heaven, you shower us with gifts

at every moment. Grant that through them

we may grow in love for you.

We make our prayer through your Son,

Christ our Lord.