So our school year is back in session and I was asked, by a returning student, about who Jesus was and a good resource to learn more about him.  My immediate answer was “Read the Gospels” found in the Bible!  It is in the Gospels where we learn about who Jesus was, his life experiences while on earth and the many, many messages of how to proceed in living life on earth.  We, as Christians have been blessed when given the gift of faith. Our challenge is to live that faith in God, which means living the Gospel messages.

The First Reading today is a common theme in scripture readings.  God, by his suffering and dying on the Cross has saved us and has given us the guidelines to follow, in order to lead a more loving and fulfilling life here on earth; leading us to eternal life if we persevere in the faith.  And the First Reading makes reference to the Gospel messages and their significance in persevering in the faith.

In today’s Gospel Jesus clearly tells the Pharisees that God is the one who exercises authority over all laws and regulations.  This may be our challenge in today’s Gospel, - trying to discern how to follow God’s hopes and desires for us and following laws and regulations, which may be confusing and or even oppressive. The phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?” might be a phrase we need to ask ourselves more often as we make decisions or choices in life.  Hopefully, by asking ourselves “What Would Jesus Do?” we will be lead into prayer and reflection as to, decisions and choices we make and the impact these decisions and choices potentially have on ourselves and on others.  I believe God wants us to be the best we can be but if our integrity and our relationship with God or our fellow human beings are being compromised we may have to call into question laws and regulations.  Jesus, and later his disciples, questioned laws and regulations which did not/do not lead us to living the “NEW” Gospel messages as taught through the life of Jesus.  Think about it… “What Would Jesus Do?”