Lectio Divina
Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: “Law”
1. Lectio
Gospel – Matthew 12:1–8
“Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent?”
The argument is that the law itself requires work that breaks the sabbath rest because of the higher duty of temple service. If temple duties outweigh the sabbath law, how much more does the presence of Jesus, with his proclamation of the Kingdom—something greater than the temple—justify the conduct of his disciples.
Reflection
Given the real potential for a misuse of human abilities, how do I avoid ignoring my responsibility for planning, coordination, oversight, and enforcement of the law within my respective borders of The Glenn?
2. Meditatio
I have to admit that much of what I do here at The Glenn involves grazing in the gray areas of the law. Texas is historically an open-range state, which means I am generally not legally required to fence in my sheep to prevent them from roaming. Instead, neighboring landowners who wish to keep livestock out are expected to fence them out. Since I have limited acreage, I use No Fence virtual fencing technology so my sheep can graze neighboring pastures with permission.
The gray area comes with my Livestock Guardian Dogs. They must remain with the sheep to fulfill the purpose for which they were bred. Yet Texas law generally requires dogs to be securely confined to their owner’s property or restrained when off that property. Allowing dogs to roam freely can violate both state and local ordinances.
That tension has forced me to think carefully about law—not as an obstacle, but as an act of stewardship. The law is one of the means by which society exercises planning, coordination, oversight, and protection for the common good. Ignoring it because it inconveniences me would not be Christian freedom; it would simply be selfishness.
So the law at The Glenn is this: during the day my LGDs remain securely within The Glenn. At night, when coyotes become active and the sheep require greater protection, the dogs accompany the flock wearing SpotOn virtual fence collars. Those collars discourage wandering while immediately alerting me if a dog strays too far from the sheep. My goal is not to find loopholes but to balance my responsibility to protect both my flock and my neighbors.
Jesus did not abolish the law. He revealed its deepest purpose. Laws exist to serve life, not to suffocate it. The Sabbath itself was ordered toward communion with God, just as my own rules at The Glenn must ultimately serve the flourishing of both people and creation rather than my own convenience.
3. Oratio
Lord Jesus,
You fulfilled the law by revealing its heart. Teach me to obey not merely from fear or habit, but from love. Give me the wisdom to exercise authority with humility, to protect those entrusted to my care, and never to use freedom as an excuse for irresponsibility. Help me remember that every decision I make at The Glenn should reflect Your justice, mercy, and concern for the common good. Amen.
4. Contemplatio
Magnifica Humanitas reminds me that “The fundamental dignity of each person, therefore, is neither acquired nor earned, nor does it need to be justified.” That truth changes the way I understand law. Law is not ultimately about proving who deserves protection or who has earned respect. It exists to safeguard the dignity that God has already bestowed upon every person.
The same principle quietly shapes life at The Glenn. My fences, grazing plans, and guardian dogs are not ends in themselves. They are ordered toward protecting lives entrusted to my care. Likewise, God’s law is not a fence built to imprison me but a shepherd’s staff guiding me toward life.
When I remember that every person bears an inalienable dignity given by God, I stop asking, “How little must I do to satisfy the law?” Instead I begin asking, “How can I use the law to better love God and my neighbor?”
The law reaches its fulfillment not in mere compliance, but in charity. And when love governs the law, both justice and mercy find their proper home.