The Holy Gospel according to 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.
Reflection: We have all witnessed something wrong and remained silent because of peer pressure, judgement or fear. Later, we may regret that we did not speak up. In this Gospel, Jesus does what we often hesitate to do: he speaks and acts for justice, human dignity, and what is right. His example invites us not only to recognize suffering, but also to respond with courage and compassion.
One present-day example is the concern many people feel about the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Without attempting to address every aspect of this complex issue, I recognize that some of its actions trouble me deeply. The Gospel challenges us to see the dignity of those who suffer and to seek justice through peaceful, compassionate, and persistent action—even when our voices seem to be ignored.
The need for freedom is not only present in public struggles; it also exists within us. At times, we carry heavy spiritual burdens by worrying excessively about sin, obsessing over decisions, or fearing that we will make the wrong choice. We can become so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of God and others. Yet the same Lord who freed the woman in the Gospel desires to free us from fear and self-imposed burdens. Serving God and following His holy will should become the deepest joy of our lives, not a source of constant anxiety. If your Christian walk feels more like a burden than a gift, turn your attention toward the merciful God. Run to Him with the confidence of a child, and allow yourself to love Him more authentically, free from scrupulosity.
This call to freedom—from injustice around us and from fear within us—is echoed by Episcopal priest Adam Bucko in his reflection on personal and political holiness:
As you move toward a life of personal and political holiness, may your journey be blessed and may your life and presence remind those around you of God’s presence. Deepening your connection to God, in you and around you, do not be afraid to feel the love, the joy, and also the pain that are present. Don’t be afraid to have a heart and to risk breaking your heart. Feel into it all and know that every time you are touching the pain, you are touching the sacred wound of God. God who is always accompanying us and guiding us. God who is suffering with us. God whose life-giving love and justice will one day be “all in all” [1 Corinthians 15:28].
My sisters and brothers, it is time to step up and protect the minimalized, the marginalized, the imprisoned, the voiceless, the powerless, the invisible, the forgotten, and the abandoned. Isn’t that what Jesus did?! Even on the Sabbath when others were judging us.
Action of the Day: Ask God to help you recognize someone in need of anything. Then ask God to give you the courage and the wisdom to do something about it.
Audio Reflection:
