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?
Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What are four words that can make a person cringe?
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“We need to talk.”
Imagine coming home from a stressful day at school or work. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by close family members and friends.
“What’s up?” you wonder.
Feeling everyone’s eyes gazing upon you, you hear those four loaded words: “We need to talk.”
Oh boy.
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I don’t like personal conflict. I try avoiding it when possible.
But when someone says, “We need to talk,” it means something’s wrong. Something happened. And someone has to change.
Some of us would rather hold things in; suck it up and keep the peace, rather than speak the truth. But Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that isn’t always possible.
It’s not a matter of if – but when – these conversations happen.
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For example, parents cannot be silent if they see their child becoming depressed, running with the wrong crowds, or slipping into an addiction. It affects the entire family.
So, they intervene for the sake of their child’s health, future, and the wellbeing of the family.
Perhaps a “we need to talk” moment happened in your marriage, at work with a colleague, or even within our own parish community.
Pointing out the harm another person is causing is not meant to shame them. It’s an opportunity for a person to change; to be healed; to start anew. Because negative behavior not only affects the person causing it, but also everyone around them.
We even see these types of crucial conversations happening between Jesus and his disciples.
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Remember last week’s Gospel.
After telling Peter and the other disciples that he’s going up to Jerusalem where he’ll be crucified, Peter tries changing Jesus’ mind.
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!” Peter said. Something tells me Peter not only feared losing his Lord, but also his own life.
Immediately, Jesus rebukes him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! … You are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.”
Peter was out of line and Jesus held him accountable. But Christ’s command to, “get behind” him was not an invitation for Peter to leave; Jesus rebuked Peter because he loved him – and wanted their relationship to continue on healthy terms.
So, Peter humbly accepts the rebuke and the two are reconciled as they continue their journey to Jerusalem.
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Shortly thereafter, Jesus will have another crucial conversation with Peter.
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During his final night on earth, while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, Jesus is arrested and led off to be crucified, just as he warned them he would be.
Peter follows at a distance, and when asked by the crowds if he knows Jesus, he denies him three times saying, “I do not know him!”
Imagine how afraid Peter must’ve felt. His Master was in chains!
As Jesus is being led off into the darkness, he glances back at Peter with that look, “We need to talk.”
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After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears to Peter as an act of mercy.
If Peter is to become the “rock” of the Church, then he must repent and be reconciled with Jesus. Only then can Peter lead the Church in Christ’s name.
So, Jesus asks him one question. It’s all he needs to know: “Peter, do you love me?”
“Lord, you know everything,” he says. “You know that I love you.”
Like Peter, sometimes we make mistakes. We say things we don’t mean. We do things that cause harm, not only to ourselves, but also to people we love.
Instead of letting these things fester in our hearts, the Lord urges us to address them for the sake of reconciliation, assuring us that these conversations can be fruitful when spoken out of love.
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Like Jesus, do I need to have a crucial conversation with someone? Or, like Peter, do I need to listen and repent?
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Sometimes, “we need to talk.”
And when we do, remember what the Lord says today. “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”
We call upon Jesus, who seeks to reconcile all things, guiding our feet into the way of peace.
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).
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What was it about himself that Peter declared to be sinful?
Perhaps it was simply recognizing that he was in the presence of someone holier and more powerful than himself.
Maybe Peter lived subconsciously with a sense of guilt, an awareness of his sins, or mistakes made – as sometimes we can do.
But Jesus sees different things – good things – within Peter, which will help him to change the world.
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Jesus sees an experienced fisherman – a man with calloused hands who understands the value of perseverance, discipline, and hard work.
Jesus sees a man who is willing trust and take risks. Although Peter just returned from a fruitless night of fishing – and he, not Jesus, is the professional fisherman – Peter willingly drops his nets at Christ’s command.
Above all, Jesus sees Peter’s future – the foundation of the Church. The skills and talents Peter developed over years of hard work as a fisherman will soon be put in service of the Gospel.
“I will make you a fisher of men,” Jesus says.
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So, what can we take away from this encounter between Jesus and Peter?
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Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by a sense of unworthiness when in the presence of the Divine, as Peter was that day.
But try to see within yourself the beautiful things the Lord sees: unique skills and talents which can make you a “fisher of men.”
As Saint Peter says, “Put your gifts in service of the Gospel, each according to the gifts you have received.” (1 Peter 4:10)
What might be some of those talents within me? And how can I use them to share my faith?
