The Gospel today, Luke 6:6-11, speaks of Jesus doing good on a Sabbath. The Scribes and the Pharisees who were always looking fdoing goodor something to accuse him were very alert, watching his every move. Knowing their thoughts Jesus asked: “Is it allowed to do good on a Sabbath or not? To save someone’s life or to destroy it?” He looked at them; then he called the man with a withered hand and said: “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, his hand was fully restored.

I read the reflection of this Scripture passage in our German Missal. I feel it is worth translating and posting it here.

“Not to do good… Not to save a life, even though one can do it, means ruin. Leaving an unfortunate to his misfortune means participation in the attitude of the one who causes the misfortune; it means causing the other unhappiness. Not to do the good that is within one’s power and possibility, means giving the evil room in oneself and in the world. In an empty space, the demons will immediately burst in when God’s work is left undone. There is no neutral Zone. There is only light or darkness.”
(German Weekday Missal, 23rd week, Tuesday, S.793)

It is a meditation of a lifetime.