How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 12:1-8, today’s readings).

“I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men. For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

The Pharisees criticize the disciples for picking the heads of grain on the sabbath and then eating them. Jesus tells the Pharisees about the time when David and his companions ate the consecrated bread to show that human need can take precedence over Mosaic law. With his authority and the new covenant he brings as the Lord of the sabbath, Jesus makes clear to the Pharisees that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. The mercy of God is something greater than the temple.

God, help me learn what Jesus desired that the Pharisees should know in his call for mercy over sacrifice. You know my every need and would not withhold from me what you freely give. The psalmist sings, “I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds.” Your gift of freedom is an innate gift; through obedience to your will, Jesus shows the way to experience it in its fullness. Father in heaven, guide me in the way of your Son.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.