Replies

July 18, 2014

It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, ” Look at your disciples they are doing what is prohibited on the Sabbath!” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it; but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty? I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words: it is mercy I want, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 4

<< Friday, July 18, 2014 >>

St. Camillus de Lellis

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

Isaiah 38:10-12, 16

Matthew 12:1-8
Similar Reflections

HOUSE WORK

"Thus says the Lord: Put your house in order." —Isaiah 38:1

When King Hezekiah was terminally ill, Isaiah prophesied to him: "Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover" (Is 38:1). Hezekiah ignored the first part of this message and prayed for the Lord to spare his life (Is 38:2). The Lord gave him fifteen more years to live (Is 38:5), but Hezekiah still didn't put his house in order.

Hezekiah used his fifteen extra years to do two terrible things. He carelessly and selfishly let messengers from Babylon obtain important information that eventually resulted in the conquest of the chosen people by the Babylonians (Is 39:2, 5-8). Then Hezekiah fathered a son, Manasseh, three years into his extra fifteen years. However, Hezekiah failed to raise his son in godliness. Manasseh reversed the good work of his father (2 Kgs 21:3). "He immolated his son by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the Lord's sight" (2 Kgs 21:6), "shedding so much innocent blood as to fill the length and breadth of Jerusalem" (2 Kgs 21:16). Although Manasseh eventually converted to the Lord (2 Chr 33:13), his reign was a catastrophe. This wasn't all Hezekiah's fault, but surely doesn't indicate that Hezekiah ever put his house in order.

Put your house in order, or you may set the stage for the destruction of yourself, your family, and your nation.

Prayer: Father, by Your grace, may I put in order my house, relationships, work, finances, entertainment, sexuality, and conversation.

Promise: "The Son of Man is indeed Lord of the sabbath." —Mt 12:8

Praise: St. Camillus was addicted to gambling until Jesus set him free of his addiction and led him to conversion and faith at the age of twenty-five.