25-MAY-'24, Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 346

Reading 1

James 5:13-20

Beloved:

Is anyone among you suffering?

He should pray.

Is anyone in good spirits?

He should sing a song of praise.

Is anyone among you sick?

He should summon the presbyters of the Church,

and they should pray over him

and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

The prayer of faith will save the sick person,

and the Lord will raise him up.

If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another

and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.

Elijah was a man like us;

yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain,

and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the land.

Then Elijah prayed again, and the sky gave rain

and the earth produced its fruit.

My brothers and sisters,

if anyone among you should stray from the truth

and someone bring him back,

he should know that whoever brings back a sinner

from the error of his way will save his soul from death

and will cover a multitude of sins.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 141:1-2, 3 and 8

R. (2a) Let my prayer come like incense before you.

O LORD, to you I call; hasten to me;

hearken to my voice when I call upon you.

Let my prayer come like incense before you;

the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

R. Let my prayer come like incense before you.

O LORD, set a watch before my mouth,

a guard at the door of my lips.

For toward you, O God, my LORD, my eyes are turned;

in you I take refuge; strip me not of life.

R. Let my prayer come like incense before you.

Alleluia

See Matthew 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;

you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,

but the disciples rebuked them.

When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,

for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Amen, I say to you,

whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child

will not enter it.”

Then he embraced the children and blessed them,

placing his hands on them.

Reflection 1

Catholic Daily Reflections 

Dependence Upon God

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:13–14

Simplicity, trust, purity of intent, transparency, and resiliency are all qualities that children often have by nature. They are not yet capable of evil intent. They are quick to forgive and reconcile when conflicts arise. And they have an unwavering confidence in the care of their parents. These are among the qualities that we need to imitate in our relationship with God.

It seems that as we age and as our human reason develops, we can lose some of the important qualities we had as children. But when it comes to our relationships with our loving God, we must never lose the important childlike qualities that lead us to be completely trusting and dependent upon God’s providence and care.

Children are also weak in the sense that they are not able to care for themselves. They rely completely upon the care of others, especially parents. For that reason, a child is an ideal image of how we must approach God. We must see our weakness and dependence. We must know, with deep conviction, that we are incapable of caring for ourselves. And though we may achieve a certain independence as we age, being able to provide for ourselves materially, we will never be able to provide for the interior spiritual needs we have. For our spiritual needs, we remain completely dependent upon the mercy of God. We must never forget that, at our core, we are spiritual beings who long for true spiritual satisfaction. Material or fleshly satisfactions that we can obtain by ourselves will never suffice to fulfill us at the deepest level of who we are. God and God alone is capable of this form of fulfillment.

Think about your own approach to life. Do you seek to find fulfillment and satisfaction in life through your own efforts? Have you attempted to take complete control of your present and future happiness? Though it is essential that we act responsibly in life, it must be understood that the most responsible way we can act is by willfully turning over complete control of our lives to God’s providence and care. As a child depends upon a parent, so we must depend upon the grace of God.

Reflect, today, upon a child. Ponder, especially, how a child is dependent upon others. As you do, see yourself similarly as one who must become completely dependent upon God for all that is important in life and for all that ultimately fulfills who you are. Trust in God’s providence and mercy, and allow that childlike trust to place you firmly in the arms of your Father in Heaven.

Reflection 2

One Bread, One Body

PRAY DAY, PRAY DAY

“They in turn are to pray over him.” —James 5:14

The Christians addressed by James were divided and lukewarm. They needed help desperately. After dealing with an array of problems, the author came to the conclusion that the best thing to do would be to pray. He reiterates: “If anyone among you is suffering hardship, he must pray” (Jas 5:13). “This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill” (Jas 5:15). “Pray for one another, that you may find healing. The fervent petition of a holy man is powerful indeed. Elijah was only a man like us, yet he prayed earnestly” (Jas 5:16-17).

Pray for those suffering, sick, or strayed (Jas 5:19), but whatever you do, PRAY. Pray as if your life depended on it. Pray when you feel like it and when you don’t feel like it. Pray always and never lose heart (Lk 18:1). “Never cease praying” (1 Thes 5:17).

The Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Pope St. John Paul II at Rome, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and other prophets all said the same thing: the Church must once again become a “house of prayer” (Is 56:7).

Jesus is praying at the right hand of the Father (Heb 7:25). The Spirit will help us join Him in prayer (Rm 8:26). Pray!

Prayer:  Lord, may I “pray in the Spirit” at every opportunity (Eph 6:18; 1 Cor 14:15).

Promise:  “He embraced them and blessed them, placing His hands on them.” —Mk 10:16

Praise:  St. Bede the Venerable finished writing his last book the night before and the day of the Ascension, prayed the Gloria, and breathed his last.

Reflection 3

By Fr. Martin Hogan

The gospel reading that we have just heard is the one that is often read on the occasion of baptisms. The reference to people bringing children to Jesus in the gospel reading is reflected in the parents who bring their children for baptism. The Lord blessing the children speaks of the wonderful way he blesses them through baptism. The contrast between how the disciples, on the one hand, and Jesus, on the other, reacted to the parents bringing children to Jesus is very striking. The disciples turned the parents and their children away, whereas Jesus insisted that the children come to him and that nothing be placed in the way of their coming to him. Jesus suggests that we all have to do what we can to bring children into a relationship with himself, to support them in coming to him. Jesus also declares in the gospel reading that as well as the responsibility we have to children we also have a lot to learn from them. We have to learn to welcome the kingdom of God as children do. Children are very receptive to good things, to gifts that come their way, including the gift of the kingdom of God, the gift of the Lord. They are open to that gift; they are very receptive to it. We can easily loose that receptiveness, the openness to the Lord, as we grow older. As adults we have to keep on recovering it; we need to keep learning to become like children so that we can welcome the gift of the Lord as openly as they do. This is the essence of the first beatitude, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’.

Prayers

Loving Father, I turn to You in complete trust as a small child turns to a loving parent. May I never become so self-sufficient that I fool myself into thinking I am capable of finding my own fulfillment in life. Instead, may I always see You as the one and only source of true fulfillment and always trust in You alone. Jesus, I trust in You.

Lord Jesus, may we never hinder our youth from coming to you to receive your blessing, help, and abundant life. Make our youth strong in faith, hope, and love that they may find true joy and fulfilment in following you as their Lord and Savior. And as we grow with age, may we never lose that child-like simplicity and humility which draws us ever deeper into your loving presence.

Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 145: Lost in the Admiration of Love

Falling in love can leave one “spellbound.”  This form of human love may leave you speechless to a certain extent, not finding it necessary, or even possible, to accurately express what you feel.  But the love of God is beyond any experience of human love and, thus, when experienced on a profound level, you will find yourself sitting back in awe and admiration of the God whom you love.  No words will be able to capture or express your admiration and amazement of the glory and splendor of the God with whom you have been drawn to love.  Your silence and awe will say far more than you could articulate in any other way (See Diary #729).

Have you fallen in love?  More specifically, have you fallen in love with your God?  “Falling in love,” as it relates to God, is not only a human passion or emotion, it’s a spiritual yearning that consumes your soul and leaves you content in His presence.  The experience of this spiritual union with God is all that you need in life to find fulfillment and it will be the source of all that you do in life, in that your actions will be solely directed toward the love of God, your beloved.  Reflect upon the depth of your love of God and if you do not see this love alive in your life, tell the Lord that you desire it and seek Him with all your might.

Lord, I love You and desire to be loved by You.  I know my love is far from perfect.  Lord, help me to seek You more intimately and to encounter You in the most intimate of ways.  May my spirit be filled with a longing for You, and as I meet You may I gaze upon Your glory and splendour.  May I truly become “lost” in my deep admiration of You, my God.  Jesus, I trust in You.