Daily Catholic Lectio. Tue, 20 January ‘26. Law and Persons

Daily Catholic Lectio

Tue, 20 January ‘26

Second Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday

1 Sam 16:1–13; Mk 2:23–28

Law and Persons

Yesterday’s Gospel raised a question about having no food—about fasting. Today’s Gospel raises the opposite problem: having food. The disciples pluck and eat grain on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees accuse them of breaking the law. The contrast is striking. Yesterday, hunger seemed acceptable only if it followed religious rules. Today, hunger itself becomes the offence. In both cases, Jesus shifts the focus. The critics look at the external act; Jesus looks at the human need behind it. For him, the Sabbath is not a trap to catch people but a gift to sustain life.

Jesus recalls David eating the bread of the Presence when he and his companions were hungry. By doing so, he teaches a fundamental truth: the law exists for persons, not persons for the law. Laws are necessary; they give order and protect values. But when laws are detached from compassion, they lose their soul. The Pharisees see a violation; Jesus sees hunger. They protect the rule; Jesus protects the person. This is not lawlessness; it is a deeper fidelity to God’s intention.

The first reading carries the same message through a powerful reversal. Saul, tall and impressive in human eyes, is rejected. David, the youngest and least considered, is chosen and anointed. God’s word is clear: “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Human judgments often rely on appearance, status, and conformity. God’s choice rests on the inner disposition, openness, and availability. What people discard, God consecrates.

Three lessons emerge for us today.

First, laws, rules, and regulations are human constructions meant to serve life. When they begin to dominate, control, or wound, they betray their purpose. We must ask not only, “Is this permitted?” but also, “Does this give life?”

Second, our prejudices can become serious obstacles in relationships. Like the Pharisees, we may judge quickly by actions, labels, or appearances, missing the deeper story of the person before us. Prejudice narrows the heart; compassion widens it.

Third, like David, we too have been anointed—at Baptism and strengthened at Confirmation. God has looked upon us with love and entrusted us with his Spirit. The question is: how do we keep this anointing alive? We do so by choosing persons over rules when compassion demands it, by listening to the heart rather than only the letter, and by allowing God’s mercy to shape our judgments.

Law has its place. But the heart has primacy. Where the heart is alive to God and to others, the law finds its true meaning.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy