Friday 18 July

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8; Canticle Isaiah; 12:1-6: Matthew 12:1-8

Ritual or empathy

The disciples are hungry so they collected grain. The Pharisees rebuked them because it was the Sabbath, the Day of Rest. Jesus’s reply suggests that sometimes empathy is more important than observing the ritual of the Sabbath. Prior to Vatican II the rituals of Sunday were restrictive. Today, mass attendance figures indicate we have become lax in our observances. Is it sometimes difficult for us to choose which is more important - being benevolent or attending mass? Let us ask Mary, Help of Christians, for direction.