Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 13:10-17
Love Before the Law

Today’s Gospel presents us with a powerful scene: Jesus is teaching in the synagogue when He notices a woman who has been bent over for eighteen long years. Without hesitation, He calls her, lays His hands on her, and she is healed—able to stand tall again.

But instead of rejoicing, the leader of the synagogue criticises Him. “There are six days for work; come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” He cannot even bring himself to confront Jesus directly; he speaks to the crowd, clinging to rules rather than celebrating mercy.

Jesus unmasks the contradiction. If they could untie their ox or donkey to give it water on the Sabbath, how much more should this daughter of Abraham be untied from her suffering? His words pierce the heart: human dignity always comes before legalism, love before the system.

This passage warns us of a real danger—in religion, in society, and even in our own hearts. Systems, rules, and structures are necessary, but they can become idols if they overshadow compassion. When people are reduced to statistics, when procedures matter more than persons, when Church debates centre more on regulations than on love of God and neighbour, we have lost the Gospel.

Jesus also shows us the urgency of compassion. The woman could have been healed the next day without controversy, but Jesus refuses to postpone mercy. God does not delay in lifting burdens. Why should we? How often do we put off forgiveness, reconciliation, or a simple act of kindness for “another day”? Yet love is always for today.

This Gospel reminds us of the heart of Christianity: God sees each person, calls them by name, and sets them free. True discipleship means doing the same—placing people before systems, mercy before rules, love before delay.

May we learn from Jesus to untie burdens quickly, to never postpone compassion, and to remember that, before God, each person matters infinitely.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025