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Gospel: Luke 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 enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Saint Vincent DePaul once said, “When you are praying, if you hear the doorbell ring, then get up and answer it.”
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Nobody likes being disturbed, certainly not in prayer; prayer is an act of intimacy. We’re vulnerable because our eyes are often closed, our heart is open, our breathing is steady, while we have a silent conversation with the Lord.
But sometimes the doorbell rings; charity comes knocking on our door. Meaning, you have to stand up and put the needs of others before your own.
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In today’s Gospel, people have gathered on the Sabbath to pray in the synagogue.
Jesus is there and, suddenly, he notices a man with a withered hand. Instead of ignoring him and continuing with his prayers, Jesus calls the man out.
“Come up here and stand before us,” he says.
Tradition tells us that this man was a stone mason; he needed both of his hands to work. So, if the Lord didn’t heal him, then the man would be reduced to a life of begging.
Could Jesus observe the Sabbath and wait to heal the man on Monday morning? Of course. But Jesus will always put the needs of others before his own.
When the doorbell rings, as it were, he answers.
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So, what might this passage mean for us?
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There are moments when we all need to put the needs of others first.
Maybe that means returning a phone call; visiting a homebound parishioner; inserting a few service hours into our schedule; or even doing someone else’s chores at home.
So, the next time the doorbell rings – when an opportunity for charity arises – will you seize it?
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Image credits: (1) A-Z Quotes (2) Ignatian Spirituality (3) No Longer Lukewarm