Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel Lk 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. 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." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Reflection

In the Gospel today Jesus was attacked by the leader of the synagogue for healing a woman on the Sabbath, to which Jesus called him a hypocrite, rightfully so. He addresses the hypocrisy of the religious leader pointing out that they untie their animals and lead them to water on the Sabbath, showing care for their well-being. He argues that if they can show such compassion for their animals, should not this "daughter of Abraham," a fellow human being, be set free from her suffering on the Sabbath as well? Jesus emphasized the true spirit of the Sabbath, which is a day for mercy and restoration.

What stood out to me was that it said the woman had been crippled by this spirit for eighteen years, and that it had affected her so physically that she could not straighten her back. That is a long time to be in such pain and carry such a heavy burden. When Jesus saw the woman he did not hesitate to heal her of her suffering, showing her great mercy and compassion in doing so.

It made me think of how many of us there are today that are crippled or plagued in different ways by numerous spirits who wish us harm and want us to remain in sin.

They come in all different shapes and sizes and might not appear as clear or as easily noticeable as a bent back, but make no mistake they are there. It is all too easy to let these evil spirits in, seemingly innocent choices can have dire consequences in the long run. The one that comes to mind first is the spirit of addiction that can take on various forms and meanings. It starts out slowly, innocently…just one more sip, one more hit, one more time. Then it becomes one last time, I can stop when I want to, if I really needed to I could stop, this isn’t hurting me its helping me, I need this. And that’s when they have us, when you realize that you don’t think any longer that it is something you could live without. By then they have successfully taken root in our lives consuming our thoughts and often actions.

What this passage impresses upon our hearts and minds is that, just as Jesus was quick to recognize the woman's suffering, he does not turn a blind eye to our own pain. Oftentimes addiction can lead us down a dark lonely path of shame, disgust, self-harm, anger and despair, but Jesus is always there. He stands ever ready to extend his compassionate and healing touch when we approach him with faith and humility. It reminds us that, like the woman who found healing in Jesus' touch, we too can find release from the burdens that afflict us, no matter how heavy they may seem.

I also find it rather fitting that this Gospel falls on the day before Halloween when the secular world wishes to worship evil spirits and take part in activities associated with the supernatural for fun. This is not to say that this is the case for everyone or that trick-or-treating and dressing up in a fun costume is inherently evil, but it does call us to question what you are dressing up as and what message are we sending through our choices.

Halloween does not have to become a celebration of demon worshiping however, this time is often one of temptation and sin. After all it is also the Eve of All Hallows, the night before All Saints' Day, a Holy day, and so many forget this as the world tries to portray it as a day of careless fun.

While Halloween may involve fun and harmless traditions for many, it's important to use this occasion as a chance to reinforce our faith, demonstrating that even in the face of secular festivities, we can remain steadfast in our commitment to Christ's message of love, compassion, and redemption. Overall I think this passage can help encourage us to consider our choices during this time and whether they align with our values and faith.