The authentic preacher of the Gospel feels “great sadness and continual pain” for those who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord.

 

  First Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Romans - Brothers, 1I am not lying, but, in Christ, I tell the truth, supported by the testimony of the Holy Spirit and my conscience: 2I have in my heart great sadness and continuous pain, 3to the point of wanting to be myself segregated by Christ in favor of my brothers, those of my race. 4They are Israelites. To them belong the adoptive sonship, the glory, the covenants, the laws, the worship, the promises 5and also the patriarchs. From them descends, in terms of his humanity, Christ, who is above all, God blessed forever! Amen! - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 147(147B)

  Glorify the Lord, Jerusalem!

1. Glorify the Lord, Jerusalem! / O Zion, sing praises to your God! / For he has strengthened your gates with security / and he has blessed your children in your bosom. – R.

2. Peace within your limits has guaranteed / and gives you the flower of wheat as food. / He sends his orders to the earth, / and the word he speaks runs quickly. – R.

3. Announce his word to Jacob, / his precepts, his laws to Israel. / No people received so much affection, / he revealed his precepts to no other. – R.

Gospel: Luke 14,1-6

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

My sheep hear my voice, / I know them and they follow me (John 10:27). – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – 1It happened that, on a Saturday, Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees. And they watched him. 2Before Jesus there was a man with dropsy. 3 Taking the floor, Jesus spoke to the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees: “Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?” 4But they were silent. Then Jesus took the man by the hand, healed him, and sent him away. 5Then he said to them, “If any of you has a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, won’t you pull it out immediately, even on the Sabbath?” 6And they were not able to answer it. – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

The dropsical man (full of water) symbolizes the people swollen by the teaching of the Pharisees. The bent-over woman (cf. Lk 13:11) and the dropsical man are a caricature of the oppressed people. Contrary to the teaching of the Pharisees, that of Jesus restores human beings and restores their ability to assimilate the proposed contents for themselves. Despite the severe prohibition contained in the Sabbath rest, it is on that day that Jesus frees the patient from his illness (dropsy). Every institution tends to subjugate people, imposing laws and more laws. For Jesus, however, everything must be put at the service of the person. Human life is above anything else, even the most sacred institution, which is the SATURDAY. The Pharisees, however, kept people swollen, that is, sick, with the excuse of serving God.

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