The appointed Gospel reading for the Daily Prayer of the Church comes from Luke where we read about Jesus healing on the Sabbath:
One sabbath while Jesus was going through the cornfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ Jesus answered, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?’ Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’
On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come and stand here.’ He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Lk. 6:1-11).
Not only is the Sabbath about worship, it is also about rest. Rest is about healing and restoration. The Pharisees forgot that. Jesus reminds them of it when he heals and restores the man with the withered hand. We need to be reminded of that as well. All of us need time to be healed and to be restored. We must practice the Sabbath.
Let us pray: O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
The 6th Annual Art Show, “Let There Be Light,” begins this Saturday with the award of the prizes. Please be there for this event which reaches out to the community. It will run the entire week.
Blessing of the Animals for the Feast of St. Francis will be Saturday the 11th of October at 10 AM on the front lawn by the cross.
We will continue with our Adult Christian Education series, Islam in Focus, on Sunday, 12 October at 11 AM.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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