The sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Gospel of the Day ( Mark 2:23-28 )

As he was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.

At this the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?"

He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?

How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?"

Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.

That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

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Reflections:

"The sabbath was made for man"

When a man goes in, as it were, to the secret place of his soul, turning his back on all the noise and worry and vanity of the outside world, he shuts the door and looks around, and what does he find? Here all is at peace, all is in order. There is nothing to cause remorse. Everything gives him joy and conduces to calm. Like a well-ordered family, all his thoughts, words and deeds are gathered about him, and he can smile on them benevolently like a father in a disciplined household. And this gives rise in his heart to a wonderful sense of security, and his security gives him such a joy and happiness that he cannot but thank and praise God the more fervently for his blessings.

This is the seventh day of rest that is only made possible by six days of labor, for we must expend our energy in good works before we can take our rest with a peaceful conscience. A clear conscience is born of zealous works, and we cannot love ourselves unless we have a good conscience enabling us to love our neighbour as ourselves (Mt 22,39).