Now he was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbaths.
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. And she was bent over; and she was unable to look upwards at all.
And when Jesus saw her, he called her to himself, and he said to her, “Woman, you are released from your infirmity.”
And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was straightened, and she glorified God.
Then, as a result, the ruler of the synagogue became angry that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, and he said to the crowd: “There are six days on which you ought to work. Therefore, come and be cured on those, and not on the day of the Sabbath.”
Then the Lord said to him in response: “You hypocrites! Does not each one of you, on the Sabbath, release his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it to water?
So then, should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for lo these eighteen years, be released from this restraint on the day of the Sabbath?”
And as he was saying these things, all his adversaries were ashamed. And all the people rejoiced in everything that was being done gloriously by him.
▸▾
Prayer on Fire Gospel Lesson
He is teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. A woman has been bent for eighteen years. He frees her. The ruler is angry and tells the crowd to come on a work day.
Where this sits
A healing becomes a fight about the holy day.
What the Sabbath is for
They untie an ox on the Sabbath to water it. This daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan, should be untied on this day of all days. The Sabbath is the day of release, not the day of keeping her bent.
What to take
The ruler defended a command by refusing the person the command was meant to serve. Guarding the day against her is the breach.
Original – Prayer on Fire
Gospel of the Day · Text: Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) · Mass Lectionary · Gospel