Today the Gospel speaks of the Sabbath: the disciples pluck ears of grain, the Pharisees reproach them, and the Lord recalls David and says that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Then in the synagogue He restores health to the man with the withered hand, for good may always be done. Saint Arefa the Recluse lived in the twelfth century in the Kiev Caves Monastery, bearing the ascetic labor of enclosure and prayer. We know little of his life, yet his very struggle speaks of a quiet faithfulness: remaining with God day after day, without seeking visible fruits. May our day today also be quiet and kind, with at least one act of mercy done without haste. May the blessing of God abide with you and with those dear to you.