sept 11 2006

1 Cor 5:1-8 Brothers and sisters: It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–a man living with his father’s wife. And you are inflated with pride.Should you not rather have been sorrowful?The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,have already, as if present,pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,in the name of our Lord Jesus:when you have gathered together and I am with you in spiritwith the power of the Lord Jesus,you are to deliver this man to Satanfor the destruction of his flesh,so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Responsorial PsalmPs 5:5-6, 7, 12R. (9) Lead me in your justice, Lord.For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;no evil man remains with you;the arrogant may not stand in your sight.You hate all evildoers.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.You destroy all who speak falsehood;The bloodthirsty and the deceitfulthe LORD abhors.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.But let all who take refuge in yoube glad and exult forever.Protect them, that you may be the joyof those who love your name.R. Lead me in your justice, Lord.

Lk 6:6-11 On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand,“Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them,“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him,“Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enragedand discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

To heal on the sabbath for the Pharisees is against the faith but not for Jesus. To do good is the importance of the act. This healing adds to the reasons the Pharisees were plotting against Jesus.

God is the ultimate judge of what is just. This means to me that I need to respond to the requests of others with an open mind and not automatically and answer about what the rules are. There are times that I must use my mind, heart and soul to come to the knowledge of what must be done in a situation. If what I do is for the greater good, God is with me in my action. It is not always a simple black and white decision and there are many shades of difference and close decisions on what is God' s way in a situation.

I pray for a clean and open heart and a willing spirit that I may serve the Lord well in all that I do and say this new day