The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to revisit our traditions and spiritual practices to assess how we practice mercy over sacrifice in our presentation to the people we encounter on our journey.
In the reading from the Book of Exodus, the Passover Ritual is Prescribed.
* [12:1–20] This section, which interrupts the narrative of the exodus, contains later legislation concerning the celebration of Passover.
* [12:2] As if to affirm victory over Pharaoh and sovereignty over the Israelites, the Lord proclaims a new calendar for Israel. This month: Abib, the month of “ripe grain.” Cf. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Dt 16:1. It occurred near the vernal equinox, March–April. Later it was known by the Babylonian name of Nisan. Cf. Neh 2:1; Est 3:7.
* [12:4] The lamb’s cost: some render the Hebrew, “reckon for the lamb the number of persons required to eat it.” Cf. v. 10. (Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving for divine rescue.
* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions. (Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' disciples are picking grain on the Sabbath.
* [12:1–2] The picking of the heads of grain is here equated with reaping, which was forbidden on the sabbath (Ex 34:21).
* [12:3–4] See 1 Sm 21:2–7. In the Marcan parallel (Mk 2:25–26) the high priest is called Abiathar, although in 1 Samuel this action is attributed to Ahimelech. The Old Testament story is not about a violation of the sabbath rest; its pertinence to this dispute is that a violation of the law was permissible because of David’s men being without food.
* [12:5–6] This and the following argument (Mt 12:7) are peculiar to Matthew. The temple service seems to be the changing of the showbread on the sabbath (Lv 24:8) and the doubling on the sabbath of the usual daily holocausts (Nm 28:9–10). The argument is that the law itself requires work that breaks the sabbath rest, because of the higher duty of temple service. If temple duties outweigh the sabbath law, how much more does the presence of Jesus, with his proclamation of the kingdom (something greater than the temple), justify the conduct of his disciples.
* [12:8] The ultimate justification for the disciples’ violation of the sabbath rest is that Jesus, the Son of Man, has supreme authority over the law. (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Greg Dyche comments that God does not like the fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude. He does not think God wanted Pharaoh to simply cave in on a whim or in a moment of weakness. God desires the real Pharaoh.
Jesus wants the real us, the real me. He does not want the motions, the actions without the love, the devotion, the kindness, the mercy. I am fond of saying, “Judge my actions, not my emotions.” Today’s Gospel is making me reconsider that idea.
In closing, — if you will allow the metaphor — allow me to make a toast. As the Psalmist says, “I will take up the cup of salvation.” With gratitude, submission, and agreement, I will drink from the same cup. Today’s reading has changed how I feel when drinking the Blood of Jesus during Communion. From now on, I will be thinking of this Psalm.
(Greg Dyche is using AI to assist in research and connecting different concepts across books of the bible and scholars.) (Dyche, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The Seventh Day,” from the early Greek fathers, attributed to Eusebius of Alexandria (5th century AD).
"Now every week has seven days. Six of these God has given to us for work, and one for prayer, rest, and making reparation for our sins, so that on the Lord's Day we may atone to God for any sins we have committed on the other six days. Therefore, arrive early at the church of God; draw near to the Lord and confess your sins to him, repenting in prayer and with a contrite heart. Attend the holy and divine liturgy; finish your prayer and do not leave before the dismissal. Contemplate your master as he is broken and distributed, yet not consumed. If you have a clear conscience, go forward and partake of the body and blood of the Lord." (excerpt from SERMON 6, 1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 12:1-8 comments that rules matter; they give us a framework in which to thrive. But Jesus always challenged his listeners—and he challenges us—to beware of monitoring how well we think other people are following rules.
Today, thank the Lord for the gifts he has given you: faith, forgiveness, joy, and the grace to do his will. At the same time, pray for the ability to love other people with the same mercy that God has shown to you.
“Lord, thank you for shaping my heart to see others with mercy.” (Meditation on Matthew 12:1-8, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Exodus passage identifies an agricultural feast and the instructions for preparing the roasted lamb. Much like the Mass it is a re-presentation of the Passover and it becomes the feast of freedom of the Israelites and passing over into freedom. In the Gospel of Matthew the Pharisees become scrupulous and accuse the disciple of breaking the Law but Jesus insists God desires mercy and Jesus claims to be “Lord of the Sabbath”. Friar Jude notes that Jesus is able to “loose and bind” an authority that was exercised by the Pharisees.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how both knowing and not-knowing can be trustworthy paths on the spiritual journey.
From the very beginning, we are warned that we cannot totally separate light from darkness, or the two have no meaning. The whole of Creation exists inside of one full cycle: “Evening came and morning came and it was the first day” (Genesis 1:5). Separating them is apparently not good! All things on earth are a mixture of darkness and light.
I hope we can recognize how Jesus is more of a “lunar” teacher, patient with darkness and slow growth. He says, “The seed is sprouting and growing but we do not know how” (Mark 4:27). He seems to be willing to live with not-knowing, surely representing the cosmic patience and certain freedom of God. When we finally know we are not in charge, we do not have to nail everything down along the way. We can work happily and even effectively with “mustard seeds” (Mark 4:31). (Rohr, n.d.)
We ponder our preference sometimes for prescriptions on how we are to act to control and sustain our relationship with God as we hesitate to invoke the Holy Spirit to assist in our practice of mercy and compassion.
References
Dyche, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/
Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12
Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12?1
Meditation on Matthew 12:1-8. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/?utm_content=buffer5c902&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/116?12
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Desire Mercy and Not Sacrifice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/
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