17 January 2024 | Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
Reading : 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 Gospel Mk 3:1-6 Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus 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 the Pharisees, "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, Jesus 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. Reflections: One of the key themes of today’s gospel is the clash between Jesus and the religious leaders, regarding the observance of the Sabbath. Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand in the synagogue, and the religious leaders w