A moment to pause: Tuesday January 20th 2026 of Ordinary Time - Daily reflection prayer podcast

Good morning and thank you for joining our Oblate short time to pause, reflect and pray together. Thanks to Mary O'Brien in Dublin for today's reflection: Today’s gospel is Mark, 2:23-28, and the extract I want to share is: “One Sabbath he was going through the grain fields and as he made his way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said,’Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath’. …. Jesus said ‘The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath’ “ In this text I think Jesus shows us how rules are not intended to be more important than human need. In scripture we find Jesus showing us new ways to lead our lives and pointing to the need for new laws, laws that will serve people rather than just rule in an authoritarian way, Lord, as I begin this day, guide my words so that I may be a source of encouragement rather than discouragement, that I may offer comfort and hope rather than hurt and that I may show love rather than pain. Thank you for joining me. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.