Please read the passage before the homily.
Luke likes to relate similar stories that highlight both women and men. Today we have a reading involving a man. Luke has already reported a healing of a woman suffering from hemorrhages. In this episode he heals a man with dropsy. In each episode Pharisees are present, but this time they are friendly to Jesus.
What are we allowed to do on the Sabbath? I grew up at a time when many stores were closed on Sundays and when people ordinarily did not work on Sunday. It was not unusual for us to discuss what kind of work we were not allowed to do or what kind of work we were allowed to do. We were questioning as the Pharisees did about what we were and were not allowed to do.
Times, however, have changed and these questions are not asked as they used to be. This is not necessarily bad, because the challenge of today is to do something on Sunday that will gladden the hearts of others. We take care of our animals and pets; we take care of the family. We build relationships. We do positive things rather than try to avoid negative actions.
In the positive actions of joining in community prayer and worship and in the positive interactions with other human beings and the world of nature, we keep holy the Lord’s Day and do what is lawful. The emphasis today is more on what we should be doing than on what we are not allowed to do.