The Pharisees criticized Jesus for everything: on account of fasting, for his companions, for He and His disciples picking up grains of wheat and also for doing healings on the Sabbath. for them it was a sin to do many things on this day.

The Gospel shows Jesus in the synagogue with the scribes. They were focusing on seeing if the Lord was going to heal  someone on the Sabbath.

Perceiving what they were thinking, Christ provoked them and called the sick man (cf Mark 3:1-12) to the middle of the synagogue and asked him to extend his hand. Immediately he was cured. Perceiving that all condemned Him, the Lord remained filled with anger and sadness for seeing hardness of their hearts.

Thus we do not know who was most ill: if it was the man with the withered hand or those scribes, pharisees; doctors of the Law, persons who taught and lead the people from the way of God. Which illness is worse: a paralytic hand or a hardened heart?

My brothers, Today is the day in which Jesus wants to operate on your healing. For the sufferings from our unwillingness, our little faith, and our sins are going to harden our hearts. Be Careful, resentments, deceptions, evil, anger cultivated grudges, and vengeance, leave us with a hardened heart, and this, many times is reflected in the physical. However the Lord wants to cure us. It is enough to open our hearts and turn away from acting like the pharisees.

Pray with me: “The Lord wants to heal my hardened heart. I need this, Lord. Perhaps, I have not perceived until today how my heart was insensitive. Heal, Lord my hardened heart.”

God Bless You!
Monsignor Jonas Abib
Founder of the Canção Nova Community

Translated from Portuguese