Daily Catholic Lectio
Friday, 18 July ‘25
Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time – Friday
Exodus 11:10–12:14. Matthew 12:1–8
The Grace of “Passing Over”
Today’s readings speak of a movement — a holy movement of God passing over, not to abandon or punish, but to protect, correct, and accompany.
The phrase “I will pass over” is not about God forgetting us. Instead, it is about God taking responsibility for us. Let us reflect on this powerful theme in light of the Exodus and the Gospel.
1. The God Who Passes Over With Mercy
In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, three great moments are brought together: The death of the firstborns in Egypt, The preparation for the Passover, and The Israelites getting ready to cross the Red Sea.
These events are tied together by one key action: The Lord passes over the houses marked with blood. This is not a sign of abandonment. This is a sign of divine attention. To “pass over” is to say: “I see you. I am watching over you. I will not forget you.” In our lives too, we may sometimes feel as if God is passing over us silently. But in truth, He is watching with love, protecting us in hidden ways.
2. Passing Over Means Taking Responsibility
In our culture, when a night watchman passes by our house during patrol, it means someone is looking out for us. He’s not ignoring our home; he is being accountable for it. Likewise, when God passes over the homes of the Israelites, it is not neglect—it is protection. He marks their houses and takes responsibility for their lives. Passing over is not forgetting. It is caring.
3. Jesus Walks Through the Fields – With Compassion
In the Gospel (Matthew 12:1–8), Jesus and His disciples walk through the grain fields on the Sabbath. The disciples are hungry, and they pick and eat the grain.
But instead of rejoicing that their hunger is satisfied, the Pharisees complain: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath law!” Jesus responds not with anger, but with a deep correction rooted in Scripture: He reminds them of how David once ate the sacred bread, How the priests work even on holy days, And He finally declares: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus teaches that human need comes before ritual rule. Mercy comes before sacrifice.
4. Pharaoh Hardens; God Softens
In contrast to Jesus’ mercy, Pharaoh in Exodus hardens his heart. He believes he is in control of life and death, refusing to let the Israelites go. But God shows Pharaoh: “You are not the master of life. I am.” He passes over the Israelites—not to judge them, but to rescue them from oppression.
5. When Crossing Becomes a New Beginning
To “pass over” also means to cross over—from slavery to freedom, from fear to faith, from ritual to relationship. Jesus, in the Gospel, crosses through the grain fields with His disciples. Their act of eating is not rebellion but a sign of freedom. It challenges the old way of thinking—where rules mattered more than people. Jesus crosses the old boundary and invites us to do the same.
Like the Israelites, we are invited to move: From fear to freedom, From burden to joy, From control to trust.
Final Reflection
When God passes over, He does not abandon. He protects. When Jesus passes through, He brings mercy—not judgment.
So let us ask: What needs to be crossed over in our hearts? What must we leave behind?
Where is Jesus walking with us today—through the fields of our hunger, struggle, or pain?
He says to us: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” “I will pass over you—and I will be your protection.”
Let our prayer be: “Lord, pass over my life—not to skip me, but to shelter me. When You cross through my heart, let it burn with mercy, not rules. When I cross into new territory, walk with me—so I may pass from fear to faith.”
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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