A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 6:1-5
While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
REFLECTION: “Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
I recently had a conversation with a friend who had to evacuate due to a hurricane predicted to make landfall in his home town. Many of us know the stress of leaving all your earthly possessions to an unknown fate when escaping a natural disaster. You carefully weigh your options for your possessions according to their necessity and value.
This man impressed me when he showed me what he chose to put in his backpack. He brought his Bible, Catholic catechism and some crucifixes. He told me, “Most people wouldn’t think of taking these things, but this is what is important to me”. I felt greatly honored he would share that with me.
Jesus refers to the unlawful action of David and his companions getting bread from the house of God for basic survival. This precursor of going to God’s house for bread to sustain life shows the importance of the Eucharist. When Jesus declared himself as “lord of the Sabbath”, he equated himself with God the Father and established his authority over laws and rules.
We are called to go to the house of God and eat the bread of life, recognizing Jesus’ authority. In our own lives, let us think of how we prioritize our laws and God. Furthermore, if we should find ourselves in a dire position, what prized possessions would we carry?
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