A Reflection on Mark 2:23-28
In today's Gospel, the Pharisees
confront Jesus because his disciples are picking grain on the Sabbath. To us,
this might seem like a trivial complaint, but to the Pharisees, it represented
a serious violation of God's law. Jesus responds by reminding them of David,
who ate the sacred bread reserved for priests when he and his men were hungry.
Jesus isn't dismissing God's law; he's revealing its true purpose. The Sabbath
was given as a gift to humanity, not as a burden. God created rest for our
benefit, to restore us and draw us closer to him. When Jesus declares that
"the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath," he's showing us that he
has authority over all religious practices because he understands their deepest
meaning. He knows that God desires mercy and relationship more than rigid
rule-following. And if Jesus is truly Lord of the Sabbath, then he is Lord of
every single day, Monday through Sunday, ordinary days and holy days alike.
This is where the incredible gift of daily Mass comes in. I have been blessed
at different times in my life, depending on my commitments and
responsibilities, to attend Mass every single day. Back when I first moved here
to Western New York, I had a rhythm for about three years where I went to a
different church every day of the week, and that brought such joy that I can't
even explain it in words. It was like Traveling with Jesus himself, meeting
him in different communities, experiencing how he was truly present in each
parish, each neighborhood, each unique expression of the same eternal
sacrifice. At these different churches, I met different people and even made
acquaintances who became friends in the Lord. And in most of these parishes, I
got to participate in the Rosary before Mass, weaving together these two great
gifts of our faith. The Eucharist is like the bread of the presence that David
ate, it's sacred, it's reserved for God's people, and it sustains us when we're
spiritually hungry. When our life circumstances allow us this freedom to attend
daily Mass, it becomes crystal clear that Jesus isn't just Lord of one special
day. He's Lord of Tuesday morning, Thursday evening, Saturday afternoon, every
moment we can kneel before him.
Today’s Gospel connects beautifully to both daily Mass and the Rosary, because
together they teach us that God wants to be part of our everyday rhythm, not
just our Sunday obligation. When I prayed the Rosary at different parishes
before Mass each day, I experienced how Mary walks with us through every
community, every encounter, every day of the week. The Rosary created a sacred
pattern that led directly into receiving Jesus in the Eucharist. Some people
worry they're "doing it wrong" if their mind wanders or if they pray
quickly, but the Rosary, like daily Mass, was made for us, not the other way
around. Mary gently leads us through the mysteries of her son's life, and then,
moments later at Mass, we encounter that same Jesus in the flesh. Together,
daily Mass and the Rosary form a heartbeat of grace that pulses through our
entire week. They're not burdens or obligations, but gifts that allow us to
meet Jesus and his family of believers every single day.
The Pharisees had forgotten that God's laws exist to help us love him and each
other more fully. They had turned the beautiful gift of the Sabbath into a
heavy burden, missing the deeper truth that God wants to be with us always.
When we're blessed with the opportunity to go to Mass every day, traveling to
different parishes, praying the Rosary with different faith communities, making
friends in the Lord along the way, we're living out what Jesus teaches in this
Gospel. We're recognizing that he is Lord of all our days, and that his desire
to feed us and be with us isn't limited to one day a week or one familiar pew.
Whether we're able to attend daily Mass for years, for a season, or just
occasionally when life permits, each time we receive Jesus in the Eucharist,
we're responding to his invitation to let him be Lord of that specific day. And
the Rosary, whether prayed in community before Mass or alone at home, keeps us
connected to that same rhythm of grace, reminding us that Jesus is truly Lord
of the Sabbath and Lord of every single day. My personal prayer this year is to
get back into the rhythm of Daily Mass, and hopefully even at different
parishes if I am able, the memories of those parts of my life that I was truly
committed to Daily Mass were so amazing.
Questions to Consider:
- How has Jesus revealed himself as "Lord of
every day" in my life, not just on Sundays or special occasions?
- During seasons when I've been able to attend daily
Mass regularly, what did that rhythm teach me about God's desire to
nourish me constantly?
- When my responsibilities prevent me from daily
Mass, how can the Rosary help me maintain that same spirit of daily
encounter with Jesus?
- In what ways might visiting different churches for
Mass, experiencing Jesus in various communities, deepen my understanding
that he is truly present everywhere and longs to meet me wherever I am?
- How can I recognize and receive the gift of daily
Mass (when possible) and daily Rosary as invitations rather than
obligations, remembering that these practices were made for me to draw
closer to Jesus?
©2026 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
