Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (12: 1-8) in which Jesus goes through the cornfields on the Sabbath and his disciples, who were hungry, began to pick ears of corn and eat them.

Fr Paul says today’s Gospel is, again, another example of Jesus challenging the rigid mindset of the Pharisees when it comes to the Law.

Yes, the disciples were walking in the cornfields and eating the corn and the Pharisees – by applying the strict letter of the Law – complain that the Disciples are doing something illegal but, in fact, it was allowed for a hungry person to pluck and eat ears of corn by hand while walking through a field.

Ultimately, in their strive to be good, the Pharisees had become really narrow minded and got their priorities all wrong.

Jesus makes it clear that the Law should be followed but the Law should not be used to enslave people. The Law should rather be used to promote goodness, justice and peace.

For our reflection, Fr Paul invites to reflect, ‘In my life, do I weigh down and burden others around me like the Pharisee’s did or is my priority to promote doing good?’