TWENTY SECOND WEEK DAYS MASS REFLECTION 23

04 - 09 SEPTEMBER 2023, HOLY MASS REFLECTIONS 04 SEPTEMBER 2023: 1THESS 4. 13-18; LUKE 4. 16-30 Punch line: A Mission that takes by storm! Guideline: When the Spirit of the Lord is with us, we will be against the spirit of the world. This will subject us to great troubles from the world. But this is the cost of our mission 1.      “Mission, commission, emission, remission, and redemption” – these can be the key ideas in today’s gospel, Luke 4. 16-30. This is the summary of the whole life and mission of Jesus. This must also be the life and mission of every disciple of Christ. Jesus is on mission. He is commissioned by the Father. He emits the Spirit. His mission consists of the remission of sins leading to redemption. 2.      Being sent by the Father and anointed by the Spirit, Jesus is entrusted with a specific mission. Some of its tenets are mentioned in the gospel text, reproduced from the prophet Isaiah. What is striking in these mission terms or objects is the appropriateness of the mission. That is, Jesus brings what is needed to whom. The right thing to the right people! 3.      Accordingly, the poor need good news – news of comfort, sustenance, assurance, hope, abundance, and satisfaction. Jesus concretizes these in his preaching and healing ministry. He releases the captives and liberates the oppressed, especially from the captivity and oppression of sin and evil. He restores sight to the blind, that is enables the people to see God through the sight of faith and to see others through the optic of charity. 4.      However, this is a challenging mission. There is every possibility to meet with misunderstanding, resentment, opposition, and rejection. It happened in the case of Jesus. It is because of the people’s presumptuous knowledge and familiarity with Jesus. They presumed that they knew Jesus very well, his family background, his relations, his credentials, et cetera. It is also because of their “convenient faith” because they listened and received only what did not question or challenge them. That is why, the same people who spoke well of him, become filled with wrath within no time. 5.      The same mission and the same fate also await us. We too will meet with contempt and fluctuating fidelities leading to rejection and persecution. But how many of us are really prepared? Lifeline: How many of us can really declare with conviction and sincerity the same missionary manifesto of Jesus? How many are really conscious that they are anointed and empowered by the Spirit and manifest the same? How many really carry out the same mission of Jesus? (Reflection 2) Focus: A positive response and transformation are possible only with openness and humility. Self-closure will fail to discover and live true self-identity   1.      Our faith becomes genuine and deep when it truly rests not on human capacities or considerations but on the divine perspective and workings. This was what Jesus’ people lacked: the openness and humility to keep aside their human considerations and calculations. Thereby, they fail to operate within the divine framework. 2.      Jesus announces the famous prophetic text, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” and people wonder and are amazed. But after he begins to speak of his identity as the Son of God, questions their lack of faith, and also cautions them of forfeiting God’s grace due to their unbelief, the very same people turn indignant and violent. 3.      This is a clear indication of the fluctuation of moods and feelings, closure of the heart, the shallowness of faith, and instability of loyalty. Once Jesus’ words begin to challenge their actual life and mode of living, they become annoyed and aggressive. 4.      They are caught up within their human boundaries like birth, place, social status, education, etc. They cannot see in Jesus more than their fellow countryman. Consequently, they fail to see the divine aura in Jesus, fail to appreciate him, and eventually, they reject him.   Direction: Unless one travels beyond the confines of external and non-essential factors like lineage, caste, region, language, culture, position, etc., one cannot discover either God or self.   05 SEPTEMBER 2023: 1 THESS 5. 1-6, 9-11; LUKE 4. 31- 37 Punch line: Power that is sacred! Guideline: In a power-crazy and power-corrupt world, authority has degenerated into a game and centre of power. We need to rediscover the sanctity of it 1.      Jesus possessed authority. People could see and experience it. It was seen both in his teaching and healing. He spoke and taught with authority. He also expelled demons with a mere command. What is this authority? Certainly, it was not anything human, legal, or juridical because Jesus had no office, no position and so no power in terms of society. 2.      It was then an authority that came from above. It is something divine and spiritual. It comes from inner power. This in turn is rooted in his intimate union with the Father. It is groomed in his singular focus on his mission, unflinching zeal, and unswerving commitment. 3.      This spiritual authority leads to moral authority, which is a sound character and integrity of life. He had no hypocrisy. He was authentic. He was convinced of the right values of the Kingdom. Thus, this two-pronged authority makes his ministry of word and action firm and powerful. 4.      In contrast, this was the kind of authority that was missing and lacking in the Pharisees and scribes. They had the legal and juridical authority, conferred by the law. But there was no spiritual or moral authority. There was no intimacy and communion with God. They had no integrity of life. 5.      What about us? What is the type of authority that we are possessing and exercising? If there is really spiritual-moral authority, why then often there is power- politics, and power- -corruption? Lifeline: Real authority is the power of the Spirit and the authenticity of life. This is to live a life of light, to bear witness to our nature and vocation of being children of light. (Reflection 2)   Thrust: Power to expel! Indicative: The world is unclean because it is possessed by many unclean demons. It is high that it needs a process of expulsion 1.      The people marvelled at Jesus because they saw in him a unique authority both in his words and deeds that is in his preaching and healing. His words and actions carried conviction and passion, authenticity and sanctity, goodness and kindness. It was an authority that was rooted in a deep spirituality, groomed in sound integrity and manifested in selfless charity. 2.       It was the right type of authority because it was based on true power. The true power is only that which comes from God. In other words, true power is truly divine and spiritual. An authority is corrupt and degenerated when it bases itself on power that is unspiritual and mundane. 3.       Jesus’ authority was powerful to expel demons because it was derived from God. He was Spirit-filled and integral. The authority of Jesus was holistic, a harmonious blend of word and deed. There was no dichotomy between what he said and taught and what he did. He was not like many of us who say one thing and do another thing. 4.       The authority of Jesus was always good-oriented and good-promoting. This is seen in his healing acts of demon-expulsion. Evil and demoniac possession do not find a place in the reign of his authority. That is why he commands the unclean spirits to get off. Whenever authority accommodates and makes room for evil, it is clearly demoniac. 5.       Today, where is that spiritual and moral authority in the church? How many disciples have the power to dispel the demons? First of all, do they have the desire at least to drive away the evil spirits? Is it the authority to heal the demon-possession or is the authority itself demon-possessed?   Imperative: We are called to be empowered with the spiritual and moral authority of Jesus to expel the demons. But are we dispossessed enough of our egos to be possessed by the Spirit of God? HAPPY TEACHERS DAY!   A Teacher not only teaches subjects in the classroom. But he teaches life, how to live and why to live. He teaches from his life. He teaches his own person. He teaches the class of life with a big room in the heart.   A teacher in tune with God, re-creates and regenerates the human person, moulding and building up character and behaviour.   A teacher guides and accomplishes a person's life by inspiring, enlightening, purifying and solidifying, sanctifying, dignifying and glorifying a human person to the heights of humanity which is divinity itself.   Today more than all other days, salute, admire and Venerate all our teachers. Let us transmit profound sentiments of gratitude and reverence toward them. Let us pray earnestly for them. If anyone is in genuine need, let us help them to the best of our limits.   06 SEPTEMBER 2023: COL 1. 1-8; LUKE 4. 38-44 Punch line: Healing that restores life! Guideline: The world of today is tormented by sickness and demon-possession. It needs healing and this comes only from the Lord 1.      Jesus heals the sick and possessed. He heals Peter's mother-in-law with his personal touch. He stands over her and the fever leaves her. He stands near the sick, and the possessed. He rebukes and commands the sicknesses and demons and they are driven. He subdues them and restores health. 2.      This is the real ministry of Jesus - a ministry of liberation and restoration. He heals the people from the ill and evil and makes them whole. This is a holistic ministry - in word and deed,  in his preaching and healing. Further, this healing is also holistic healing, that is, both the external and internal. Fever can refer to external physical healing and demon-possession can refer to internal spiritual healing. 3.      Today, this holistic ministry and holistic healing are needed. We need to live an integrated life of word and action. We need to spread God's kingdom both by our word power and action power. We need to speak powerfully about how God is loving, liberating, and healing. 4.      But words, teaching, and preaching alone will not be enough. Our words must be accompanied and authenticated by healing actions. This would include all our social actions, charitable actions, and exorcist actions. We should bear in mind that all our ministry and healing must be holistic. It must be person-oriented and not merely a particular ministry or action-oriented. 5.      This is the danger of our ministries. There is always the tendency to departmentalize as a ministry of the word, of social work, charity, exorcism, tongues, prophecy, et cetera. It is true that different gifts of the Spirit are given to different persons and ministries may be specified and diversified. But we should be cautious that specialization of ministry is narrowing down or absolutizing the particular ministry or domesticating the Spirit. Lifeline: Whatever the kind of ministry we may be engaged in, We must always make sure that our life is integral and holistic and our ministry too must aim at the holistic healing and health of the person. Ministry is not our focus, but God as the subject and the person of the recipient as the object. (Reflection 2) Thrust: People of the world! Indicative: There is always a difference between people of the world and people of God. The former are led by the unspiritual and the latter are led by the spiritual 1.      Jesus is on his ministry. It is a ministry that is holistic. It includes prayer, preaching, and healing. He is deeply conscious of the purpose of his coming to the world. He declares it clearly: “I must preach the kingdom of God and I was sent for this purpose”. This ministry is inclusive and expansive. It is not confined only to some particular territories. 2.       The spread of the kingdom of God is not limited only to words. It shows itself in concrete actions. And healing is that concrete manifestation. Healing drives away the evil power and establishes God’s reign of liberation, wholeness, strength, and joy. Healing symbolizes the defeat of evil and the ushering in of God’s reign. 3.       Such a ministry of preaching and healing requires immense power. That power comes only from God. That is why even amidst all his round-the-clock ministry, Jesus would always steal some moments to be “alone” with His Father in “desolate” places. 4.       Our ministries also must be like the ministry of Jesus. And they can be so, only when they too become holistic and expansive. Often our ministries, with all their skill and competence, tend to be partial and confined. 5.       There is often a great chasm and incongruence between our prayer life, preaching, and concrete actions. They are also often confined by various boundaries like region, language, caste, tribe, culture, rite, et cetera. The eloquence of preaching and the bundles of activities often do not go together with a deep spiritual life. 6.       Our ministry should be always kingdom-oriented. We should lead people to come closer to God. We should foster in them a sense of unity that feels like one family of God. Whenever there is jealousy and strife, it only means that we are still people of the flesh and not people of the Spirit.   Imperative: Often our ministries fail not because of a lack of competence, talent or skill. It is only because of the lack of communion with God and with others 07 SEPTEMBER 2023: COL 1. 9-14; LUKE 5. 1-11 Punch line: Life with Jesus is abundance! Guideline: Our Vocation is a precious and noble gift, irrespective of the differences in the walks of life. The ultimate and sole aim of every vocation is to make a constant transition from our old life of sin to a new life of grace by following the Lord closely 1.      In the gospel episode, Luke 5. 1-11, we have the miraculous catch of the fish. This becomes the manifestation of Jesus’ power and also the occasion of the call of the first disciples. These are the two obvious themes. But apart from these, what is very striking is the aspect of transition or change that happens. 2.      A situation of nothingness and a total lack of fish changes into abundance. A sense of the futility of toiling vainly the whole night changes into a sense of utility and fruitfulness of catching plenty. Failure turns into success; fear is transformed into confidence; discouragement blossoms into courage and encouragement. Sadness is enveloped by gladness; hopelessness flowers into hopefulness; giving up and quitting is reversed by perseverance and rekindled stability. Thus, the whole misery is changed into glory, whereby a debacle becomes a miracle. 3.      But, still, apart from these detailed elements of change and transition, there is one factor that is more profound and underlying. That is the change of their vocation, the change of their very identity, the change of the level and the dignity of their very life, the change of the direction of their work. They are transformed from mere fishermen to fishers of men or souls. This is the highest form of change and transition. 4.      This core change implies a lot. It is no more a change in that particular situation of the miraculous haul of fish. It is no longer limited only to those few moments. It involves their whole life. Their entire life changes. Their person changes. Their focus and direction change. Their lifestyle, and their manner of living changes. Their goals and objectives change. Still, further, it is a qualitative change. It is a change from something lower to something higher. 5.      This is the same change that is implied in the first reading from Colossians 1. 9-14. It is being “qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son”. It is to be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight”. It is to “increase in the knowledge of God”. It is to be “strengthened will all power, according to his glorious might, to endure patiently and joyfully”. It is to “live a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him”. It is to “bear fruit in every good work”. Lifeline: We too profess to follow the Lord closely. We too experience the power of the Lord very many times in our life. But does he make a substantial change in the quality of us as persons, in the quality of our mode of living? Are we constantly changed in transition for the better? (Reflection 2) Thrust: Life changes - The greatest miracle! Indicative: When God’s grace is missing, all the efforts of humans become futile and fruitless. Those who do not realise this are really foolish 1.      “Let no one deceive himself… For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. The Lord catches the wise in their craftiness… The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile”. This is what St Paul exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 3. 18-23. These words make it very clear that without God’s grace and assistance, all the best efforts can become only self-conceiting and futile. 2.       This is vividly illustrated by a concrete episode in the gospel. Peter and Co. toil the whole night fishing in a lake but catch nothing. They were experts with a lot of skill and expertise. But all their experience and craftiness would amount to nothing. It is because the Lord was not with them. 3.       But when he enters the scene, then he takes control of the whole situation. He directs them, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. He leads us into the deep from the superficial. He makes their futile toil a successful catch. He turns scarcity into abundance. He changes desperation to renewed hope. 4.       God’s entry into our lives makes a sweeping change. Persons are raised to a new dignity. They are no longer ordinary fishermen but fishers of souls. They become dignified and no more ignorable. The purpose and direction of life change. Their life becomes a mission. It is no more self-confined, self-serving, or family-serving. It is kingdom-oriented and other-oriented. 5.       This is a new vocation and mission. Thus, the miracle is not just a temporary change in that particular time or situation. It is a lasting and life-long and total change. No more the old ties, old profession, old friends, old interests! It is a new life, a life totally centred on the person and the mission of Christ.   Imperative: How long do you want to go on pleasing the world, pursuing futile interests? Become wise to realise that the Lord alone turns our futile efforts into miracles of success, by transforming us into persons of dignity 08 SEPTEMBER 2023: MICAH 5. 1-4; MATTHEW 1. 1-16, 18-23, BIRTHDAY OF MARY Punch line: A birth that changes the earth! Guideline: A birthday is a reminder that birth is a gift of God gratuitously and generously donated by God. So our life must always carry this divine touch   1.      08 September is a great holy and happy day for all the Catholics as they celebrate their mother Mary's birthday. Which son, which daughter does not rejoice over her mother's birthday? Today, in the first place, let us greet her with a happy birthday with all the affection in our hearts. Let us kiss her, embrace her and tell her that we simply love her so much. Let us thank God for giving birth to her because if she was not born, we would not be born as her children. 2.      In the Telugu language, there is an old birthday song that says, "Birthday is a feast for all but how many really know why they are born?" The beauty, the meaning, and the value of birth is when one lives the gifted life meaningfully and purposefully. 3.      In this sense, Mary certainly lived her gift of life as a gift to God and others. We can mark two phases in her life: one, before the Annunciation, and the other, after the Annunciation. This distinction is made because as we know, the Annunciation marks a decisive and definitive moment in her life when the purpose, mission, and destiny of her life were disclosed to her. The Angel announces that she would be the mother of the incarnate saviour and thus becomes a pivotal collaborator in God's plan of salvation. From then on, her life was lived in an intense consciousness of her vocation. 4.      However, even before this disclosure of the purpose of her life, even before the annunciation, her life was no less purposeful. Her life has always been a continuous act of faith and faithfulness. This comprises a profound spirit of humility, docility, and surrender. Concretely, these manifest themselves in a life of devotion and benevolence. 5.      Now what is the simple birthday message for us? Like Mary, live a life of faith and faithfulness, humility, docility, and surrender through the daily practice of devotion and benevolence. Live like her, like those who are born of God. This means that we resist sinning. We do what is right. Love others as sisters and brothers.   Lifeline: A fitting birthday gift to the Mother is our filial affection and devotion to her, which eventually leads to emulation of her example   (Reflection 2) Thrust: Nothing little in God’s plan! Indicative: God’s will and designs are always with a purpose and destiny. Ultimately they are oriented to our good and salvation. And Mary has a key role in the accomplishment of this divine plan 1.      08 September marks the birthday of our sweetest Mother Mary. At the very outset, let us salute and felicitate her with a happy birthday wish. As she is our most beloved mother and we are her predilected children, let us rejoice and celebrate this day with exuberant jubilation. 2.       Her birthday is salvific. God in His eternal design of salvation already destined her to be the mother of His only Son who would be born of her as the incarnate Saviour. Thus, Mary has had a singular privilege in God’s sight. Thus, her birthday must remind us of our salvation and Mary’s unique role in that. 3.       Mary’s birth is already a part of the preparation for and implementation of God’s salvific plan. Of course, every birth is also important and purposive in God’s holy designs. Yes, God has a purpose for everyone being born on this earth. However, Mary’s birth is singular and unequivocal for three reasons that cannot be matched by any other birth. 4.       First, her birth indicates her “direct” link and association with God Himself and His plan itself. Secondly, it shows her “direct” role and participation as an incomparable collaborator with His plan of salvation. That is why she is rightly extolled as “co-mediatrix”. Thirdly, her birth indicates her “direct” link with us in the pursuit and attainment of salvation. She is one with us among the saved ones. She is also the guide and supporter for us on the way of salvation. 5.       Her birth is a vital assurance, impetus, and strength for all of us that God is eternally concerned about us. That is why He chose Mary and made her the womb of His incarnate Son. She continued to be a spiritual womb, bearing Jesus all through her life. She reminds us that we too must become the abodes and the dwelling places for Jesus. Thereby she assures us of eternal reward. 6.       There is also another special note on her birthday. A good number of places celebrate her on her birthday as Our Lady of Good Health. This is very meaningful and valid. It is because, with her birth, the process of restoring health is decisively set in motion. Sin has cast a mantle of sickness and infirmity over humanity. But God through the birth of Mary begins already decisively to lift off this cover. Her birth is ushering in the health-restoration process.   Imperative: Let the birthday of the sweetest Mother Mary not be limited to pious devotions and grand celebrations. Let it be a time of reminder of the purpose of our own birth and a moment to rededicate ourselves  (Reflection 3) Focus: Birthdays are always joyful occasions of celebration. But the real greatness is not the mere fact of birth, but in realizing the value and purpose of one’s birth and in living up to that value and purpose   1.      08 September is the birthday of the most beautiful Mother Mary. But practically many remember and celebrate it as a day of Our Lady of Good Health. Now, how a birthday is connected to health? The simple logic and reason is: that her birthday becomes the health day. Her birthday removes sickness and brings health. 2.      In the world of today, many are sick in so many ways. Varieties of sicknesses abound, and when one sickness goes, the other sickness appears. That is why today everywhere you find clinics and hospitals. Hospitals increase day by day because sicknesses increase day by day. Hospitals will never run at a loss, and health care has become a prosperous business because sicknesses will live forever and people are desperate for good health. 3.      People are sick, sick physically, but much more mentally, morally, and spiritually. Day by day, numbers increase of the physically sick, of blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, this failure, that failure, this pain, that pain, etc. Day by day, numbers increase of the mentally sick, depression, fear, anxiety, worry, tension, mental imbalance, etc. Day by day, numbers increase, of the morally sick: right values are thrown off, and wrong values like selfishness, greed, corruption, cheating, atrocities, perversions, violence, murders, and all sorts of immorality are embraced and propagated. Day by day, numbers increase, of the spiritually sick: God, God’s will, and God’s message is abandoned or rejected or neglected; the world, worldly pleasures, worldly possessions, and pursuits are given the central place. 4.      The body is sick, the mind is sick, the heart is sick, and the soul is sick. That is why the human person is sick, the family is sick, the community is sick, the working place is sick, the state is sick, the centre is sick, the country is sick, the whole world, the whole human society is sick. The whole world is under the power and reign of sickness. 5.      What does it mean? When one is sick, there is weakness, there is a loss of energy, there is less enthusiasm and interest, and there is a lack of full power and strength. So, sickness makes us weak and dull, we cannot do things well, we cannot be fully happy, and we cannot be peaceful. 6.      Therefore, the greatest sickness is unhappiness and peacelessness. Much more than physical sickness, this is the most serious. Today, we may wonder, how many are really happy and how many are really at peace. Is it not being sick? 7.      Now, do you know, what is the greatest reason for sickness? It is sin. The Holy Bible repeatedly makes it clear that sin takes away happiness and peace. Nobody who sins can be really happy and peaceful. One may appear to be happy but is all shallow and superficial, because sin affects us, infects us, corrupts us, and ruins us. 8.      But what is sin? Simply, sin means something against God and good. So to sin means, not to love God with whole heart, not to listen to Him attentively, and not to follow His will obediently. To sin means, not to be good, not to think good, not to speak good, not to do good, not to have good attitudes, good, qualities, good character, and good behaviour. 9.      Therefore, whenever God and good become less, we are sinful and we become sick. Therefore, today, through her birth, Mary is reminding us and inspiring us that her birth and her whole life were for God and for good. There was no sin and no evil. Therefore, she is perfectly healthy. Her birth and her life of grace and virtue is a medicine, a remedy, an antidote for good health, that is, perfect joy and peace. Thus, being herself healthy and knowing the secrets of health, she can make us healthy, and she can lead us on the path of health. 10.  Am I sick? Are you sick? Do you and I want to be fit and healthy? Then, why delay? Why doubt? Let us run to her. Let us take her help. Let us walk with her, closer to God and better in goodness.   Direction: Every birthday is a reminder that as we advance in years, we must also advance in godliness and goodness, that we must grow in stature integrally, and that we must accomplish the purpose of life 09 SEPTEMBER 2023: COL 1. 21-23; LUKE 6. 1-5 Punch line: Charity is the supreme Rule! Guideline: Rules and traditions are good because they can restrain deviant tendencies, guard against possible breaches and regulate good behaviour. But one should take care not to overdo them 1.      Once again Jesus gets into a confrontation with the Pharisees. The issue is the Sabbath. Jesus’ disciples plucked some grains from the grainfields and ate them. The Pharisees accuse that act of violating the Sabbath rule. They consider even rubbing the grains in the hands as equal to harvesting. Jesus defends his disciples by giving the example of David who when hungry ate and also shared with his company the bread of the Presence. But nobody would question it. 2.      In this context, Jesus declares, “The Son of man is lord of the Sabbath”. His intention is not to justify their action, not to belittle the value of the Sabbath, or to present himself as a liberal man who goes beyond the normal rules. His main intention is to set things in their proper perspective. The Sabbath law is good but at the cost of the human good. The rules are also not above God or his divine rule. 3.      All the rules are for the good of men. They are meant to help and promote their good and happiness and not block their growth. They should not be coercive or subversive. They should not be ends in themselves. They should not be absolutized. We should always remember that they are always means to a beneficial end. 4.      Further, no human law is above the divine law. It is God who is the author and master of the Sabbath law. And now, by forcing Jesus to be subjected to the Sabbath law, they are making the master himself a slave to his handiwork. God is above and beyond every law because he is the supreme law-giver. 5.      The supreme law is faith in Jesus and fidelity to him and all other rules are subservient to this. In the light of the first reading from Colossians 1. 21-23, this means to be ever conscious of our decisive “shift from being estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds to being reconciled in Christ Jesus”; “to present ourselves holy and blameless and irreproachable before him” and to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel”. Lifeline: Every law must be positive and productive, contributive, and conducive to human good. They should not become negative and subversive. The good or bad of a rule must be judged by its fidelity to the divine law. (Reflection 2) Thrust: No good rule is against good! Indicative: All our knowledge and practice of religion and rules should make us more humble and surrendered to God and not puffed up and accusative toward others 1.      The Pharisees and the scribes in the gospels were puffed up about their knowledge and religious adherence. They knew a lot and they observed the laws and rules. That is why they pounce upon Jesus &co. at every little instance and condemn them as violators of the law and irreligious. 2.       In today’s gospel, they accuse Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath just because they rubbed and ate some of the corn. They twist the whole thing and wrongly equate this simple act of hunger with harvesting which was forbidden on the Sabbath. 3.       They become blind to others – to Jesus and his holiness and goodness, to his disciples who were faithful followers of a great master and hungry at that moment, and to the simple people who were under their guidance. They become blind even to the very laws that they uphold because they do not see the real purpose and spirit of all religions and laws. 4.       Jesus makes clear to the Pharisees and scribes two essentials: “The Son of Man is the lord of Sabbath”. No human rules must supersede him. All the laws are subservient before the supremacy of God. Our focus and priority should be on the Lord of all law and devotion, and not on the law of the Lord. 5.       Secondly, charity and helping others is the greatest principle. No rule should become a hindrance and a reason against the good of the other. Any rule that hinders help and even harms the other is not a good rule and is not pleasing to God.   Imperative: True faith and devotion are always directed to the primacy of God and charity to others. There is no greater law than these