Kapamilya Gospel

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68 Thursday, 12 July 2012 Thursday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. John Gualbert, Abbot (99-1073) See commentary below or click here Saint Bonaventure : "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " Book of Hosea 11:1-4.8c-9. When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me, Sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, who took them in my arms; I drew them with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer. How could I give you up, O Ephraim, or deliver you up, O Israel? How could I treat you as Admah, or make you like Zeboiim? My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again; For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you. Psalms 80(79):2ac.3b.15-16.18b. O shepherd of Israel, hearken. From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth. Rouse your power. Once again, O LORD of hosts, Look down from heaven, and see: Take care of this vine, And protect what your right hand has planted The son of man whom you yourself made strong. The son of man whom you yourself made strong.   Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:7-15. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words--go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day : Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274), Franciscan, Doctor of the Church Life of Saint François, Legenda major, ch. 3 (trans. ©Franciscan Institute of Saint Bonaventure University, 2000) "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " One day while he was devoutly hearing a Mass of the Apostles, the Gospel was read in which Christ sends out his disciples to preach and gives them the Gospel form of life, that they may not keep “gold or silver or money in their belts, nor have a wallet for their journey, nor  may they have two tunics, nor shoes, nor staff." Hearing, understanding and committing this to memory, this friend of apostolic poverty was then overwhelmed with an indescribable joy. "This is what  I want," he said, "this is what I desire with all my heart!" Immediately,  he took off the shoes from his feet. put down his staff, denounced his wallet and money, and, satisfied with one tunic, threw away his leather belt and put on a piece of rope for a belt. He directed all his heart's desire to carry out what he had heard and to conform in every way to the rule of right living given to the apostles. Through divine prompting the man of God began to become a model of evangelical perfection and to invite others to penance. His statements were... filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they penetrated the marrow of the heart, so that they moved those hearing them in stunned amazement. In all his preaching, he announced peace by saying: "May/he Lordgiveyou peace." Thus he greeted the people at the beginning of his talk. As he later testified, he had learned this greeting by the Lord revealing it to him... Therefore, as the truth of the man of God's simple teaching and life became known to many, some men began to be moved to penance and, abandoning all things, joined him in habit and life.

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Friday, 13 July 2012 Friday of the Fourteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. Clelia Barbieri, Religious and Foundress of Congregation (1847-1870),  St. Henry II, the Pious (973-1024)

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Saint Vincent de Paul : "It will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" Book of Hosea 14:2-10. Thus says the LORD: Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, "Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, 'Our god,' to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion." I will heal their defection, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily; He shall strike root like the Lebanon cedar, and put forth his shoots. His splendor shall be like the olive tree and his fragrance like the Lebanon cedar. Again they shall dwell in his shade and raise grain; They shall blossom like the vine, and his fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim! What more has he to do with idols? I have humbled him, but I will prosper him. "I am like a verdant cypress tree"-- Because of me you bear fruit! Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths of the LORD, in them the just walk, but sinners stumble in them. Psalms 51(50):3-4.8-9.12-13.14.17. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart, And in my inmost being you teach me wisdom. Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, And your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, And a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall proclaim your praise. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:16-23. Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), priest, founder of religious communities Address of 21/03/1659 "It will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" Our Lord Jesus Christ asks of us the simplicity of a dove. This means saying things absolutely simply, as we think of them, without wasting a thought, and acting straightforwardly, without deceit or artifice, our eyes on God alone. For this purpose we will each try to carry out all our actions in this same spirit of simplicity, representing to ourselves that God takes pleasure in communicating himself to the simple and in revealing those secrets to them that he hides from the wise and prudent of this world (Mt 11,25). But, while recommending the simplicity of a dove to us, Jesus Christ commands us to use the prudence of serpents, which is a virtue that causes us to speak and act with discretion... Our Lord, telling the apostles that he would send them out like sheep among wolves, tells them at the same time that they must be prudent as serpents and simple as doves. Then he adds: “Beware; for men will detain you before courts... because of me. But when they hand you over do not worry about what you are to say...” First he speaks of prudence and then of simplicity; the former is to enable them to go like sheep in the midst of wolves, where they run the risk of being badly treated. “Be prudent,” he says, “be shrewd, but be simple for all that.” “Beware of men”: watch out for yourselves prudently but, if you are exhibited before the judges, don't trouble yourselves about your answers. That is simplicity. Note that our Lord links these two virtues together in such a way that he intends us to make use of them on the same occasion. He advises us to use both equally and gives us to understand that prudence and simplicity go well together when they are properly understood.

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Monday, 16 July 2012 Monday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time

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Saint Patrick : "Whoever gives...  one of these little ones a drink because he is a disciple... will surely not lose his reward." Book of Isaiah 1:10-17. Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the LORD. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear. Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow. Psalms 50(49):8-9.16bc-17.21.23. "Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, For your burnt offerings are before me always. I take from your house no bullock, No goats out of your fold." "Why do you recite my statutes, And profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline And cast my words behind you?" "When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.   He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; And to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God." Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10:34-42.11:1. Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household.' Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple--amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Saint Patrick (c.385-c.461), missionary monk, Bishop Confession, 56-62 conclusion (trans. Philip Freeman; SC 249, p.129f. rev.) "Whoever gives...  one of these little ones a drink because he is a disciple... will surely not lose his reward."      So “I will entrust my soul to my most faithful God” 1Pt 4,19), whom I serve here as his “ambassador” (Eph 6,20) in spite of my shortcomings - but God doesn't use the world's standards in such matters. He chose me for this job - me, one of the least of his servants (Mt 25,40) - to be his assistant. “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done to me?” (Ps 116[115],12). But what can I say or do for God? Everything I can do comes from him... So may God never permit me to be separated from his people “whom he formed for himself” (Is 43,21), here at the end of the earth. I pray that God will give me perseverance and allow me to be a faithful witness for him until I die. If have ever done anything worthwhile for the God I love, I ask that I might be allowed to die here for his name with these converts and slaves... I know if that were to happen, I would gain my soul along with a new body on that day we will undoubtedly rise again like the sun in the morning, like the son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. My final prayer is that all of you who believe in God and respect him, whoever you may be who read this letter that Patrick, the unlearned sinner, wrote from Ireland, that none of you will ever say that I, in my ignorance, did anything for God. You must understand - because it is the truth - that it was all the gift of God. And this is my confession before I die.

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 Tuesday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. Alexius, Confessor (+404),  Bl. Pavol Gojdič, Basilian Bishop and Martyr (1888+1960)

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Catechism of the Catholic Church: “From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand' ” (Mt 4,17) Book of Isaiah 7:1-9. In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it. When word came to the house of David that Aram was encamped in Ephraim, the heart of the king and heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind. Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller's field, and say to him: Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands (the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans, and of the son of Remaliah), because of the mischief that Aram (Ephraim and the son of Remaliah) plots against you, saying, "Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there." Thus says the LORD: This shall not stand, it shall not be! Damascus is the capital of Aram, and Rezin the head of Damascus; Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Remaliah's son the head of Samaria. But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! Psalms 48(47):2-3a.3b-4.5-6.7-8. Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised In the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, Is the joy of all the earth. God is with her castles; Renowned is he as a stronghold. For lo! the kings assemble, They come on together; They also see, and at once are stunned, Terrified, routed. Quaking seizes them there; Anguish, like a woman's in labor, As though a wind from the east Were shattering ships of Tarshish. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:20-24. Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.' For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Catechism of the Catholic Church § 1427-1428, 1432 “From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand' ” (Mt 4,17) Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1,15). In the Church's preaching this call is addressed first to those who do not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion... It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism17 that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life. Christ's call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, "clasping sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of purification, (and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal" (Vatican II LG 8). This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a "contrite heart," (Ps 51[50],19) drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first (1Jn 4,10)... The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart (Ez 36,26f.). Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him: "Restore us to thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored!"  (Lam 5,21). God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God's love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear of offending God by sin and being separated from him. The human heart is converted by “looking upon him whom our sins have pierced” (cf. Zac 12,10; Jn 19,37).

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Wednesday, 18 July 2012 Wednesday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. Frederick, Bishop and Martyr († 838)

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Saint John Chrysostom : "You have revealed them to the childlike" Book of Isaiah 10:5-7.13-16. Woe to Assyria! My rod in anger, my staff in wrath. Against an impious nation I send him, and against a people under my wrath I order him To seize plunder, carry off loot, and tread them down like the mud of the streets. But this is not what he intends, nor does he have this in mind; Rather, it is in his heart to destroy, to make an end of nations not a few. and the boastfulness of his haughty eyes. For he says:) "By my own power I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am shrewd. I have moved the boundaries of peoples, their treasures I have pillaged, and, like a giant, I have put down the enthroned. My hand has seized like a nest the riches of nations; As one takes eggs left alone, so I took in all the earth; No one fluttered a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped!" Will the axe boast against him who hews with it? Will the saw exalt itself above him who wields it? As if a rod could sway him who lifts it, or a staff him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will send among his fat ones leanness, And instead of his glory there will be kindling like the kindling of fire. Psalms 94(93):5-6.7-8.9-10.14-15. Your people, O LORD, they trample down, Your inheritance they afflict. Widow and stranger they slay, The fatherless they murder. And they say, "The LORD sees not; The God of Jacob perceives not." Understand, you senseless ones among the people; And, you fools, when will you be wise? Shall he who shaped the ear not hear? Or he who formed the eye not see? Shall he who instructs nations not chastise, He who teaches men knowledge? For the LORD will not cast off his people, Nor abandon his inheritance; But judgment shall again be with justice, And all the upright of heart shall follow it. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:25-27. At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church Sermons on Saint Matthew's Gospel, no.38, 1 "You have revealed them to the childlike" “I give praise to you,” Jesus says, “because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned.” What? Is he glad at the loss of those who don't believe in him? Certainly not. How wonderful are God's designs for people's salvation! When they turn away from the truth and refuse to accept it, God never forces them but lets them be. Their wandering away stimulates them to find the path again. Returning to their senses, they hastily seek out the grace of the call to faith they had  rejected before. As for those who had remained faithful, their devotion becomes even stronger like this. So Christ is glad these things are revealed to some but saddened they are hidden from others. This is made known when he weeps over the city (Lk 19,41). Saint Paul writes in the same spirit: “Thanks be to God! You were once slaves of sin but you have become obedient from the heart” to the Gospel (Rom 6,17)... Who are the wise Jesus is talking about here? The scribes and the Pharisees. He says this to hearten his disciples by showing them of what privileges they have been accounted worthy. Simple fishermen that they are, they have received the illumination that the wise and learned despised. These latter are wise in name only; they think themselves wise but are false scholars. That is why Christ did not say: “You have revealed them to the ignorant” but to “the childlike”, that is to say, simple, honest people... In this way he teaches us to utterly renounce important things and seek out simplicity. Saint Paul goes even further: “If anyone considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise” (1Cor 3,18).

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Thursday, 19 July 2012 Thursday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : Servant of God Francis Garces and Companions, Martyrs (c. 1781)

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Blessed Teresa of Calcutta : "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart" Book of Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19. The way of the just is smooth; the path of the just you make level. Yes, for your way and your judgments, O LORD, we look to you; Your name and your title are the desire of our souls. My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you; When your judgment dawns upon the earth, the world's inhabitants learn justice. O LORD, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done. O LORD, oppressed by your punishment, we cried out in anguish under your chastising. As a woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so were we in your presence, O LORD. We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth to wind; Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth. But your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise; awake and sing, you who lie in the dust. For your dew is a dew of light, and the land of shades gives birth. Psalms 102(101):13-14ab.15.16-18.19-21. You, O LORD, abide forever, And your name through all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion, For it is time to pity her. For her stones are dear to your servants, And her dust moves them to pity. The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, And all the kings of the earth your glory, When the LORD has rebuilt Zion And appeared in his glory; When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, And not despised their prayer. Let this be written for the generation to come, And let his future creatures praise the LORD: "The LORD looked down from his holy height, From heaven he beheld the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoners, To release those doomed to die." Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11:28-30. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), founder of the Missionary Sisters of Charity No Greater Love "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart" To become holy we need humility and prayer. Jesus taught us how to pray, and He also told us to learn from Him to be meek and humble of heart. Neither of these can we do unless we know what silence is. Both humility and prayer grow from an ear, mind, and tongue that have lived in silence with God, for in the silence of the heart God speaks. Let us really take the trouble to learn the lesson of holiness from Jesus, whose heart was meek and humble. The first lesson from this heart is an examination of our conscience, and the rest - love and service - follow at once. Examination is not our work alone, but a partnership between us and Jesus. We should not waste our time in useless looks at our own miseries, but should lift our hearts to God and let His light enlighten us. If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed, you won't be discouraged; if anyone calls you a saint, you won't put yourself on a pedestal. If you are a saint, thank God; if you are a sinner, don't remain one. Christ tells us to aim very high, not to be like Abraham or David or any of the saints, but to be like our heavenly Father (Mt 5,48). “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn 15,16).

[Leo Lastimosa]

DAILY GOSPEL «Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.» John 6:68

Friday, 20 July 2012 Friday of the Fifteenth week in Ordinary Time Saint(s) of the day : St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr (3rd century),  St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

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Epistle of Barnabas : "Something greater than the temple is here" Book of Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8. In those days, when Hezekiah was mortally ill, the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, came and said to him: "Thus says the LORD: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you shall not recover." Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, remember how faithfully and wholeheartedly I conducted myself in your presence, doing what was pleasing to you!" And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: "Go, tell Hezekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD'S temple; I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; I will be a shield to this city." Isaiah then ordered a poultice of figs to be taken and applied to the boil, that he might recover. Then Hezekiah asked, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the temple of the LORD?" (Isaiah answered:) "This will be the sign for you from the LORD that he will do what he has promised: See, I will make the shadow cast by the sun on the stairway to the terrace of Ahaz go back the ten steps it has advanced." So the sun came back the ten steps it had advanced. Book of Isaiah 38:10.11.12abcd.16. Once I said, "In the noontime of life I must depart! To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned For the rest of my years." I said, "I shall see the LORD no more In the land of the living. No longer shall I behold my fellow men Among those who dwell in the world." My dwelling, like a shepherd's tent, Is struck down and borne away from me; You have folded up my life, like a weaver Who severs the last thread. Those live whom the LORD protects; Yours is the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life. Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:1-8. At that time Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? 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."

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day :

Epistle of Barnabas (c. 130) § 15-16 (trans. Maxwell Staniforth ©1968) "Something greater than the temple is here" About the sabbath... he also tells them: “I have no patience with your new moons and sabbaths” (Is 1,13). You can see what he is saying there: “It is not these sabbaths of the present age that I find acceptable, but the one of my own appointment: the one that, after I have set all things at rest, is to usher in the Eighth Day, the commencement of a new world.” And we too rejoice in celebrating the eighth day; because that was when Jesus rose from the dead, and showed Himself again, and ascended into heaven. We come now to the matter of the Temple; and I will show you how mistaken these miserable folk were in pinning their hopes to the building itself, as if that were the home of God, instead of to God their own Creator... But what we have to ask next is, Can there be any such thing as a temple of God at all? To be sure there can - but where He Himself tells us that He is building it and perfecting it. For it is written: “When the week draws to its close, then a Temple of God will be built gloriously in the Name of the Lord” (cf. Tb 14,5). From this I must infer that there is indeed such a thing as a temple. Only, mark that it is to be “built in the Name of the Lord”, for in the days before we believed in God, our hearts were a rotten, shaky abode, and a temple only too truly built with hands, since by our persistent opposition to God we had made them into a chamber of idolatry and a home for demons. But now “it will be built in the Name of the Lord”. Make sure, too, that this temple of the Lord shall be built “gloriously”, and listen to the way in which this can be done. When we were granted remission of our sins, and came to put our hopes in His Name, we were made new, created all over again from the beginning; and as a consequence of that, God is at this moment actually dwelling within us in that poor habitation of ours.