7 July 2018
Saturday in the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time
The Pharisees ask a question that we still ask today: how can you celebrate at a time like this? We hear variations of this all the time. How can you contemplate truth when there is work to be done? How can you engage in leisure activities when there is hardship? How can you enjoy a hobby when others suffer? With all the problems that have existed throughout human history, any time could be the wrong time for happiness.
Yet Jesus gives a clear reason for why we may celebrate: “I am here.” Jesus is with us, and so we may feast. There are times to mourn, times to acknowledge injustice, but also times when we may celebrate. Taking time for study, for creativity, for happiness, is essential to human existence. And while we take this time, Jesus will still be fighting on our behalf doing what we could never. Our Lord is with us, and so we have cause to rejoice.