Salve, Regina, Mater Misericordiae.
Any time is a good time for charity.
This is the first thing our Lord teaches us in the Gospel today.
And then secondly, he talks about the principal obstacle to charity, namely pride.
And so any time is a good time for charity.
In fact, charity should be the motivating force behind everything that the Christian does.
Love for God and love for neighbor should inspire all of our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
And this, any time, any place.
And so our Lord shows up at the house of a chief Pharisee.
And there are other Pharisees and lawyers who are there present.
And they are filled with malice.
Nonetheless, this doesn't stop our Lord from going and teaching and healing.
And so he goes like a lamb in the midst of wolves.
He heals the man before them.
But he reads their thoughts.
He knows that they have malicious intent and want to trap him.
They want to accuse him of violating the Sabbath law.
And so he asks them the question,
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
Now, notice the response, which reveals their lack of goodwill.
That is, they don't want to heal.
They don't want to heal.
They don't want to heal.
They don't respond.
But they remain silent.
Because whether they answer yes or no,
both answers will correct them.
If they answer yes, it's lawful to heal on the Sabbath,
then they have nothing with which to accuse our Lord.
If they say no, it's not lawful,
then they're caught.
Because they themselves,
will pull out an ox or an ass from a pit on the Sabbath.
And so our Lord proves his point by bringing up this example.
If they allow someone to pull out his beast of burden on the Sabbath
when it's in trouble,
how can we not allow our Lord to heal a man?
They're pulling their beast of burden out of the pit,
not so much out of love.
Okay, they might have some,
a sentimental feeling towards the beast,
but more for their own concern.
Okay, that beast is a source of income,
their property.
How much more worth has a man?
And how much less interest,
personal interest,
our Lord has in healing.
It's gratuitous.
It's charity.
And so they're caught.
They're trapped.
And our Lord recognizes in them
the unrighteousness,
the obstacle,
their blindness,
and the fact that they are proud.
How this vice of pride
blinds souls to the truth.
And so our Lord then starts to explain
humility.
How one must be humble
if one wants to be capable
of exercising true charity.
Because everyone that exalteth himself
shall be humbled.
And he that shall humbleth himself
shall be exalted.
The more we humble ourselves,
the greater possibility there is
for us to exercise charity.
And the greater our charity,
the greater we shall be exalted in heaven.
And so let's remember this teaching of our Lord.
And put it into practice.
Begin with humility,
and then exercise charity.
And then in the end,
let God exalt us.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.