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.”
Luke 13:14
Jesus cured on the Sabbath. This short sentence has two parts. Which one does the synagogue leader focus on? The first part of the sentence is the very definition of a miracle: Jesus cured. All those in the synagogue, including the synagogue leader, beheld the miracle. No one denies that an actual miracle at the hand of the Messiah actually takes place. That’s what makes the synagogue leader’s response so ironic. The leader’s reaction is not one of joy in the curing, but one of anger that it happened on the holy Sabbath. Moreover, he doesn’t even address Jesus. He instructs the CROWD to come on one of the other six days to be cured. We can see how ridiculous the synagogue leader’s reaction truly is. That said, his reaction tells us something about spiritual warfare. We see the miraculous every day in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We encounter the Lord in prayer. Yet, we also acknowledge that there are things we encounter every day that take our focus off of Jesus and off of the miraculous. May we have the grace each day to acknowledge the presence of God in our lives.
How will I prepare my heart to encounter the Lord today in all that transpires so that my focus will not stray off of Him?
Lord Jesus Christ, make smooth my path today and remove all obstacles from my heart that threaten to take my focus off of you.
Today's Reflection is by:
Christian Galvan
Did you know...
Christian Galvan is a seminarian for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. His home parish is St. Stephen in Riverview. He worked in engineering design and construction management for five years before discerning the call to the priesthood. He enjoys singing, cooking, Rays Baseball, and Notre Dame Football.
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