Twenty-Third Monday of Ordinary Time

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

It is always lawful to do good and avoid evil, no matter what day of the week it might be. We might not be called to cure people on the Sabbath, but we are often called to act with charity and mercy in the midst of our busy lives. Instead of looking for excuses to avoid the sacrifice being asked of us in terms of time, talents, and treasure, we should embrace the opportunities we are given to do God's Will. Sometimes that means being late to Mass, putting away the rosary, or skipping a devotion so we can help someone in need. God understands that sometimes good works interfere with our prayer lives. However, we should remember that in God's eyes our acts of charity and mercy are better, living prayers than any we could ever pray by ourselves.

Are we willing to stretch out our hand and seize our opportunities to do good? What can we do to prepare ourselves to lead sacrificial lives? How can we keep our eyes, ears, and hearts open to sensing when God is calling us to acts of charity and mercy?

O Lord, we stretch our hands out to you in hopes that you will restore us and show us how to do good without counting the cost.

Amen.