Lord of the Sabbath
Saturday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Luke 6:1-5 - While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
The Son of Man is the Lord of Sabbath. It’s true! But is the Son of Man the Lord of our Sabbath? If Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, are we living the Sabbath like He wants us to? How does Jesus want us to live the Sabbath? He wants us to set Sunday aside by doing these things: attending Mass, praying, celebrating, and resting.
The Sabbath matters. The most important thing for servants of the Lord to do is to attend Mass every Sunday and on all Holy Days of Obligation. It is fitting, also, that outside of Mass we have extra time and availability for prayer. As a good practice, Christians should do something extra to celebrate on Sundays (especially together), like having a larger meal or a special dessert. Finally, it is important for Christians (really, for humans in general) to have a more restful and leisurely day. This doesn’t mean having a movie marathon, but it does mean refusing, as much as possible, unnecessary activities that take away from God and family. These might include sports practices, shopping, errands, etc. In prayer, consider how we might adjust our Sundays in order to make the Son of Man Lord of our Sabbath.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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