Something Greater
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD's temple; I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city." Isaiah 38:4-6
Jesus was going through a field of grain on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath…I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Matthew 12:1-2
Piety
Prayers offered during a walk with migrants in south Texas:
“God hears our prayers. We’re gathered here tonight. We may come from different countries. We may come from different faith tradition. We may even come from a different place in a political or ideological spectrum. But we are here because something very special brings us together and that is Love of God and Love of neighbor.” (Opening remarks of Miguel Santos, an organizer for the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville)
"We thank God for this gathering, this moment of prayer. We put our trust in God’s promise as we recognize that God puts us on the road that other people travel so that we might help them. That is the spirit of this walk. That God puts us really today on the road that helps us to be servants of those who walk. We thank God for the grace and the continued hope we have for a better way of life for all people, especially those who are most vulnerable."
(Prayer shared by Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville during the walk)
(Prayer shared by Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville during the walk)
Study
Sickness and recovery. Hunger. Overcoming the physical challenges of everyday life are central to both readings today.
We discover there are steps within our control as well as within our faith that can both work to overcome the physical obstacles we face.
The prophet Isaiah points out that faith and prayer are critical. Putting the recovery into God’s hands “will rescue you.” But also, we can strengthen ourselves for the journey by making sure we work with what is at hand. In the case of the disciples in the field, they were hungry and there was grain in the field. Rather than ignore the gift from God that was at hand, the disciples picked it and ate it.
Some Pharisees objected to what they saw in front of them by using the old law. Matthew shows us again how Jesus turned over the old law and replaced it with a new interpretation. Just like with Job, there is “something greater” here. Rather than sentencing the disciples to another day of hunger, Jesus preached the Gospel of Mercy again.
He addressed the Pharisees not just as the humble carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Rather, he addressed them with the familiarity with the law as one who was the actual author of it. Thus, the lesson of justice and mercy over sacrifice comes through as the new ways overcome the old ways.
Action
Who do you need to deal with in mercy today? The last thing in Jesus’ mind when dealing with the Pharisees is “zero tolerance.”
Maryknoll Sisters Ann Hayden and Patricia "Pat" Edmiston are on mission in Peñitas, a small, rural border town in deep south Texas, fourteen miles west of the city of McAllen, home of the largest immigration processing center in the United States where currently thousands of undocumented adults and immigrant children separated from their parents by U.S. Border Patrol are detained.
They conclude with this:
We hope this act of solidarity (the walk and the pastoral care they offer) demonstrates our support for the migrant community here and for all those who seek refuge and asylum, who are being treated with disdain and disregard for their human rights and dignity. The suffering is immense.
Yes, there are those, even in the Rio Grande Valley, who feel we must keep our borders 'safe' no matter the human cost. But we pray that grace may touch the hearts of all those involved to right this wrong and restore the heart of our immigrant nation to compassion and justice for the 'stranger' in need of refuge and welcome in our midst.
Thank you for all you do to champion the cause of refugees and migrants around the world.
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