Monday of week 30 in Ordinary Time, Gospel: Luke 13:10-17
In today’s Gospel, Jesus encounters a woman who has been bent double for eighteen years, unable to stand upright. Moved by compassion, He declares: “Woman, you are free from your infirmity.” Immediately, she stands erect and begins praising God. This beautiful encounter reveals a fundamental truth: our relationship with God is meant to be an experience of liberation, not oppression. Jesus does not see merely a sick woman; He recognizes a daughter of Abraham whose dignity deserves to be restored. While the synagogue leader is concerned about the observance of the Sabbath, Jesus reveals its deepest purpose: to bring humanity closer to God and allow His goodness to flourish. God’s commandments are not burdens that bend us down, but paths that help us stand upright in freedom and dignity. Sometimes our relationship with God can become dominated by fear, guilt, excessive concern about rules, or the desire to fulfil religious obligations perfectly. Yet Jesus reminds us that authentic faith should gradually free us from whatever prevents us from loving God and others wholeheartedly. This freedom is not the absence of responsibility, but the ability to respond to God’s love with joy and generosity. The woman, once liberated, immediately glorifies God. True liberation does not distance us from God; it brings us closer to Him in gratitude and praise. The message of Christ invites us to experience faith not as something that weighs us down, but as a relationship that raises us up, restores our dignity, and enables us to help others experience the same freedom. Let’s reflect: Does my relationship with God help me stand upright in freedom, joy, and dignity, and does the way I live my faith help others experience liberation rather than additional burdens?
Don Giorgio