Seventh Week of Ordinary Time
25th May 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Week 3
Reading of the Day
First Reading: James 5:13-20
Beloved: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Psalm 141:1-2, 3 and 8 (R. 2a)
R/. Let my prayer be accepted as incense before you.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have revealed to little children the mysteries of the kingdom.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Mark 10:13-16
At that time: They were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – Seventh Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: Openness to God’s grace is crucial for the working of it. God can work freely and abundantly when there is humble receptivity and cooperation
In today’s gospel, the whole scene pivots around children. Jesus rebukes his disciples who hinder children from being brought to him to be touched and blessed. He wants children to come to him, be close to him, and be touched and blessed by him. He also makes it crystal clear that only to such belongs the kingdom of God.
We can reflect now on what it means to be children and to be childlike. Before that, some simple questions can be asked. Today how many parents take their children closer to Jesus, to the church, to the sacraments, to the spiritual animation? How many parents initiate, motivate, guide, and foster their children in matters of faith and morals? How many of them instil and ignite in their children a love for God and enthusiasm for spirituality?
In the name of giving the children freedom, and respecting their individual responsibility, are the elders not failing in their responsibility? Are we ourselves not hindering them from Jesus? What a loss it is that our children miss the nearness, the touch, and the blessing of Jesus!
We may also reflect on the attitude of the children of today. How many children have this longing to go to Jesus, to receive his touch and blessing? How many prefer to spend long hours watching TV, playing video games, or with their friends? How many children become so irregular to the church, especially to the Holy Eucharist and the holy confession?
We can further reflect on being childlike. Essentially it means a heart that bubbles with tender affection, a guileless heart that harbours nothing negative, with humility to realize their smallness, deep trust to depend totally on God, and wholehearted surrender to Him.
In the light of the first reading from the letter of St James, all this means a “praying” heart that surrenders all to God, be it suffering, sickness, or weakness. Such a praying heart is also benevolent toward others, in praying for them, healing them, and bringing them back to God.
Practice: Care should be taken so that our prayers do not become self-oriented. We need to realize the efficacy of the prayer of intercession for others. Thus our prayers must become more altruistic and benevolent
