Wednesday 2nd week in ordinary time
"Mk 3:1-6"
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodi-ans against him, how to destroy him.
What a contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees. "Again" starts the Gospel today: 'again' those grouches show their absolute lack of concern towards people in need. You can hear them shouting, 'I don't care, the Sabbath is the Sabbath!' But in the middle of the silence Jesus, saddened at their reaction, "looked around at them with anger"; how could they be so mean?
He looked at them but didn't say a word. He paused long enough to take a glance at each one of them. And He "grieved", says today's Gospel, at their egoistic lives, like a loving father disappointed with his children because they despise each other. But still in Jesus there was - and is - more compassion than passion. The man with the withered hand needed Him. His concern for souls who needed Him was greater than His grief over those who thought they didn’t.
Saints have always had that zeal for souls. Unlike the Pharisees, they were ready to do 'anything' for them. Fr. Toccanier was the assistant priest of St John Vianney in his parish. One day, aware that the life of the holy priest was coming to a close, Toccanier asked him, "If Our Lord gave you the possibility to choose between going straight to Heaven on the spot or staying a bit longer to keep working for the salvation of souls, what would you choose?" St John Vianney answered without hesitation, " I would stay. Saints are extremely happy, but... They can't gain souls for God like us, with their work and sufferings." St Josemaría explained that apostolic zeal always comes with a "constant concern for souls." Mary, Queen of Apostles, help me to obtain that apostolic zeal, that real concern for my friends and for the salvation of their souls.
