“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call” (Ephesians 1:17-18).

When we seek God first in all we think, say and do we will experience more peace in our lives. Taking time to begin our days by opening our heart and mind to God, receiving, resting, and abiding in his love helps us to have eyes to see a little more clearly than if we get up at the last minute and rush into the day at breakneck speed.

We see the importance of this in today’s Gospel. The Pharisees are following Jesus and his disciples to catch him breaking the law so they can bring charges against him. Jesus and his disciples are walking on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a key identifying feature for the Jewish people.

The Sabbath is a day of rest in which the people are to remember his saving act of freeing them from their slavery in Egypt, honor God and his covenant with his people, and it is also a remembrance that God is the creator who rested on the seventh day and so made this day holy in which no work was to be done. The sabbath rest is one way to help the people to remember who they are as human beings created in God’s image and likeness.

Unfortunately, these Pharisees are seeking to subvert the law for their own agenda. Instead of having the eyes of faith to see God in their midst, on the Sabbath they are seeking to find a way to trap the One who is seeking to heal and save them from their scrupulosity. Jesus does not disregard the gift of the sabbath but seeks to restore it to its proper order as he heals on the Sabbath and allows his disciples to feed themselves when they are hungry. In Jesus saying, “the Son of Man is the lord even of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28) he is harkening back to the dignity of humanity who has been created very good.

We have been created very good. We are God’s beloved daughters and sons. May we give ourselves some time to begin this day in stillness and be grateful for the gift of this day, the gift that we have a God that loves us and wants the best for us, and return throughout the day no matter our schedule to give ourselves moments of rest and renewal, to spend time in God’s presence to be still, to be loved, and to be a light to others that we meet.

Photo: Looking up to the heavens and taking some deep, slow breaths is a good way to rest and reset!

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, January 16, 2024