Do good always

January 18, Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Hebrews 7:1-3.15-17 Gospel: Mark 3:1-6

Jesus: "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than destroy it?" 

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death. Looking at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand," and his hand was restored.

Today, Jesus reminds us to do good constantly: There's no time to neglect kindness to others. God's love leads us to Jesus' new commandment: "Love one another." As I've loved you, love one another" (Jn 13:34). Jesus neither repeal nor criticizes Moses' Law since He is the first to obey its prohibitions and attend synagogue on the Sabbath; rather, He critiques the narrow-minded version of the Law promoted by its masters and the Pharisees, which left little space for charity.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day (Cf. Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16). He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.’ (Mk 2:27)" (CCC 2173)

Jesus Christ has come to preach the Gospel of salvation, but his opponents are not persuaded. They waited to blame Jesus if he healed the man on the Sabbath (Mk 3:1-2). We see the power of grace and the hardheartedness of the Pharisees who feel they have the truth. Were the Pharisees happy when the man's withered hand healed? They were even more misguided, rushing to deal with Herod's followers to kill Jesus.

Jesus' act of curing the man with the withered hand eliminates the chains which the Law and Pharisees had placed on the Sabbath. Jesus restored its real meaning as a day of communication between God and man, emancipation from servitude, and deliverance from evil. Saint Augustine said, "He who has peace in the conscience is peaceful, and this very peace is his heart's Sabbath." 

We should not hesitate to do good in our lives. We should neglect others’ bad comments on our doing good to others. By doing good always, let us try to maintain peace in our conscience, which is our heart’s Sabbath.