Necessity Knows No Law

Carmelite homily for Tuesday, January 21, 2020 – Lectionary 312 (Mark 2:23-28)

In the Gospel today Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field and the disciples are grabbing the grain and eating it as they walk along.   And the Pharisees say, “Uhh, you’re not allowed to do that on the Sabbath.” First off, what are the Pharisees doing in that field on the Sabbath, and second off, I think our Carmelite Rule says this very well.  The Rule says, “Necessity knows no law.”  Because the law serves to help us get to deeper life, more mature life, fullness of life.  That the call.  Not the law.  The law is a tool, a mechanism, to life, love, depth, maturity.  That’s the reminder in today’s Gospel.