The Holy Martyr Leontius (69-79)
Romans 11:25-36; Matthew 12:1-8
Apostles’ Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read Matthew 12:1-8
In today’s Gospel, our Lord is in dialogue with the Pharisees who throughout the Gospel continually challenge Him. We are often very quick to condemn the Pharisees who are always questioning, always pointing out fault, always accusing Jesus of breaking the law. But how often, like the Pharisees, do we get things disordered, or backwards, where our priorities are all out of whack?
In speaking of the law, the Pharisees are referring to the many commandments found in the Mosaic law described in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These commandments governed, and still govern, all aspects of life for an observant Jew. Yet at the root of the law is obedience to God, maintaining the covenant with Him. Our Lord reminds the Pharisees that what God desires is mercy not ritual sacrifice. But hold on, didn’t God command Moses in Leviticus how to render blood sacrifice in excruciating detail? Yes, this is true and we too as Catholics regularly come together in the Eucharistic celebration to partake in that final Paschal sacrifice of Christ, to be nourished by His body and blood so as to be ever-more fully joined to Him. So, how then are we to understand sacrifice?
The issue here is not whether or not to worship, it is about the ordering of that worship. If in the worship of the Holy Trinity and in being conformed more fully to Christ in the Eucharist we are not led to greater mercy then we are not being obedient to God; we have things disordered, out of whack. Our Lord has shown us how to worship Him, but in being obedient we are called to so much more than just attendance at Sunday and festal Divine Liturgies. What is the liturgy we serve after the liturgy? It is mercy. It is bringing and revealing God’s infinite mercy to others through our actions and our service to others. This is true obedience.