The Gospel of Luke is called the Gospel of Mercy, and today’s passage reveals why. When Jesus healed the bent woman on the Sabbath, He showed that mercy never rests. The Lord of the Sabbath Himself chose compassion over rigidity, revealing that the purpose of God’s law is not to bind, but to free.

Many claim Catholics “changed the Sabbath” — but Scripture tells a different story. Christ, by rising on Sunday, fulfilled the old covenant and began the new. The “eighth day,” Divine Mercy Sunday, symbolizes this new creation in grace. The early Christians gathered on the first day of the week to “break bread” (Acts 20:7), celebrating the Resurrection in the Eucharist — the true touch of Christ that heals and liberates.

The woman bound by Satan for eighteen years reminds us of our own spiritual chains — fear, sin, resentment, despair. Jesus speaks the same word today: “You are set free.” Through His Word and the Eucharist, He still lays His healing hand upon us. Though our trials may remain, grace gives us the strength to persevere and to live unbound.

Do not let fear or rules devoid of love separate you from mercy. God’s Church and Sacraments exist for your salvation. Remain close to them, and the Lord will grant you freedom, healing, and peace.