Gospel: September 6, 2025
September 6, 2025 (Saturday)
22nd Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 (Green/White)
Blessed Virgin Mary
Ps 54:3-4, 6 & 8
God himself is my help.
1st Reading: Colossians 1:21-23
You, yourselves, were once estranged, and opposed to God, because of your evil deeds, but now, God has reconciled you, in the human body of his Son, through his death, so that you may be without fault, holy and blameless before him. Only stand firm upon the foundation of your faith, and be steadfast in hope. Keep in mind the gospel you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Gospel: Luke 6:1-5
One Sabbath Jesus was going through a field of grain, and his disciples began to pick heads of grain, crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?” Then Jesus spoke up and asked them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering, and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath.”
Reflection:
“Faith as understanding and standing.”
In his Introduction to Christianity Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, describes the nature of faith. It’s not simply a way of thinking; it’s a way of being. This is described in the Scriptures as “understanding” and “standing.” The two complement each other. Here Saint Paul points to both, as he encourages the Colossians to “stand firm” upon the foundation of their faith. They are also to “keep in mind” the Gospel they have heard, reflecting on the teaching they have received. This means that we are not only to know the content of our faith but also apply it to our lives. Above all, our faith is a personal relationship with Christ, the One whom we believe to be the Lord and so, the One in whom we trust. His Lordship is reaffirmed in today’s Gospel as the Pharisees challenge his disciples over doing work on the Sabbath by picking the heads of grain to find something to eat. Some Pharisees had a stricter interpretation of Sabbath laws and customs, while others took greater account of circumstance. Jesus does not need the Pharisees to adjudicate what is acceptable to the Lord, as he is the Lord.
