Reflection for October 25, Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 13:10-17

Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. 

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? 

This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

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Reflection:

Was the woman crippled by a spirit listening to Jesus in the synagogue?   

Yes she was there on a Sabbath day listening to the Lord. This woman was also a follower and she had faith otherwise he would have not been cured from her sickness that had been making life very difficult for her for eighteen years. 

Do we still have time to listen to Jesus as well? Many of us have no more time to follow and listen to Jesus for the simple reason that we are so busy following and listening to the dictates of this material and temporary world. 

So what do we get from following the dictates of this material world? Nothing but stress and emptiness! Material riches no matter how huge will never give us contentment much less peace. Let us not be misled into following this world for it’s just like chasing the wind! We will not get anything by chasing the offerings of this world except stress and eventual sickness. 

Like the sick woman in the gospel, let us choose to follow Jesus and let us choose to listen more to Jesus than to listen to this temporary and materialistic world. For the simple reason that if you have the presence Jesus in your life He would always be there for you ever ready to help and heal you. – Marino J. Dasmarinas