First Reading: Ephesians 4:32 – 5:8
Be kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, even as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Be therefore followers of God, as most dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and has delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for a sweet fragrance.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as befits saints. No obscenity, no foolish talking, no coarse jesting, which is to no purpose, but rather giving of thanks.
For know this and understand, that no fornicator or unclean or covetous person, which is idolatry, has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with vain words. For because of these things the anger of God comes upon the children of unbelief. Be not therefore partakers with them.
For you were once darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. Behave like God as his very dear children.
Alleluia: John 17:17b, 17a
Gospel: Luke 13:10-17
He was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and she was bowed together and could not look upward at all.
When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said to her: Woman, you are delivered from your infirmity. And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.
And the ruler of the synagogue, being angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd: There are six days wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.
And the Lord answering him said: You hypocrites, does not every one of you on the Sabbath day loose his ox or his ass from the manger and lead them to water? And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?
And when he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
Reflection
Look at that woman - eighteen years bent over, unable to look up. Nobody called her, nobody noticed, until Jesus saw her. He does not wait for her to ask. He calls her, touches her, and straightens her back.
But the ruler of the synagogue is angry. For him, the rule is more important than the woman. Jesus calls that hypocrisy. We untie our animals to give them water on Sabbath, but we don't want to untie a daughter of Abraham?
St. Paul tells us today - we were darkness, now we are light. Walk as children of light. That means being kind, forgiving, thankful. And sometimes it means being bent over ourselves for years by guilt, habit, or shame. Jesus still sees, still calls, still lays his hands on us to make us stand straight again.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you saw the woman who could not lift her head. See me too. Lay your hands on whatever keeps me bent and bound. Make me stand straight again to glorify God. Teach me to be kind, merciful, and forgiving as you have forgiven me. Amen.
