Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Meditation - Mark 2: A Question about the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along.[a] 24 Some Pharisees asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!”
25 Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry and in need? 26 It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his followers.”
27 Jesus finished by saying, “People were not made for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.”[Footnotes:
2.23 went along: It was the custom to let hungry travelers pick grains of wheat.]
Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr
The sabbath was made for man. (Mark 2:27)
When the Pharisees question Jesus’ disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath, he reminds them that David ate a special kind of bread on the Sabbath called the “bread of offering” (1 Samuel 21:5). It was also called the “bread of the presence” because it had to be always before the tabernacle in the presence of God (Exodus 25:30). Only the priest could eat it, yet he gave the bread to David, who then gave it to his companions. So why do you think Jesus used this example to show that “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27)?
There’s no doubt that Jesus was pointing out how burdensome some of the sabbath regulations were. Human beings—like his disciples—couldn’t realistically be expected to follow them all. But in telling the story of David and his companions, Jesus was also saying something about what God has done for us. He gave us the Sabbath so we could rest and be nourished. We are told that the bread of offering was unleavened bread—the bread of the Passover and the kind of bread that the Eucharist is made of!
David and his companions are much like us. When we are weary from life’s journey, Jesus provides us with food and rest through the gift of his Body and Blood. “The bread that I will give,” he said, “is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51). The Eucharist—the bread of Jesus’ presence—is what sustains us throughout the week, for our entire lives, and into eternity. It’s something we can’t do without.
The Sabbath should be a day of rest, and in the Eucharist, God offers us that rest. It’s so much more than just physical rest. It is refreshment for our souls when we become weary of fighting temptation. It’s rest for our hearts when we get worn down by the call to love our enemies. It’s strength for our wills when we want to give in and just go with the flow. The Eucharist is that “secret place” where you can go to commune with Jesus and take refuge in him. What a marvelous gift!
“Jesus, how I love to receive you in the Eucharist! There can be nothing better than to experience your presence. May I never stop thanking you for this awesome blessing!” Amen!
Hebrews 6:10 God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people. 11 We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. 12 Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.
God’s Promise Is Sure
13 No one is greater than God. So he made a promise in his own name when he said to Abraham, 14 “I, the Lord, will bless you with many descendants!” 15 Then after Abraham had been very patient, he was given what God had promised. 16 When anyone wants to settle an argument, they make a vow by using the name of someone or something greater than themselves. 17 So when God wanted to prove for certain that his promise to his people could not be broken, he made a vow. 18 God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed.
We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. 19 This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain[a] and into the most holy place. 20 Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.[b][Footnotes:
6.19 behind the curtain: In the tent that was used for worship, a curtain separated the “holy place” from the “most holy place,” which only the high priest could enter.
6.20 Melchizedek: See the note at 5.6.]
Psalms 111: Praise the Lord for All He Has Done
1 Shout praises to the Lord!
    With all my heart
I will thank the Lord
    when his people meet.
2 The Lord has done
    many wonderful things!
Everyone who is pleased
with God’s marvelous deeds
    will keep them in mind.
4 The Lord God is famous
for his wonderful deeds,
    and he is kind and merciful.
5 He gives food to his worshipers
    and always keeps his agreement
    with them.
9 God rescued his people,
    and he will never break
his agreement with them.
    He is fearsome and holy.
10 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the first step
    to wisdom and good sense.[a]
    God will always be respected.[Footnotes:
111.10 This. . . sense: Or “This is what wisdom and good sense are all about.”]
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