Grieved at their hardness of heart

Gospel of the Day (Mark 3:1-6)

Again he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand.

They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.

He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us."

Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent.

Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

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Reflections:

"Grieved at their hardness of heart"

He is the lamb that was dumb; he is the lamb that was sacrificed; he who was born of Mary, the gentle young ewe. He it was who was taken out of the flock and led to death, slaughtered at evening, buried at night..., to rise from the dead and restore life to man from the depths of the tomb.

He was put to death, then. And put to death where? At the heart of Jerusalem. Why? Because he healed their lame, cleansed their lepers, restored their blind to the light and raised their dead (Lk 7,22). That is why he suffered. It is written in the Law and the prophets: «They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn. They have plotted evil against me, saying: 'Let us bind up the just man since he is hateful to us'» (cf. Ps 38[37],21; Jer 11,19).

Why have you committed this nameless crime? You have dishonoured him who honoured you; you have humiliated him who exalted you; you have denied him who acknowledged you; you have rejected him who called you, killed him who gave you life... It was necessary that he should suffer, but not at your hands. It was necessary that he be humiliated, but not by you. It was necessary that he be judged, but not by you. It was necessary that he be crucified, but not at your hands. Here are the words you should have cried out to God: «O Master, if it is necessary that your Son should suffer, if that is indeed your will, then let him suffer – yet not through me.»