Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Give a Mass Offering

Mass Intentions

9:00 AM – Deceased Members of Cathedral Candle Co.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Readings

First Reading

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

Psalms 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.

Gospel Acclamation

See Mt 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.

“ Let my prayer come like incense before you.”

— Matthew 5:3

Reflection

“God loves to be asked, so that he can give.” —St. Bede

This is part of St. Bede’s own commentary on our segment from the Epistle of St. James today…and in a sense it ties us nicely to our Gospel passage. Bede offers a simple question that exhibits a genuine childlike trust. St. Teresa of Avila also comes to mind, as she said that we pay the Lord a great compliment when we ask big things of him. Why is that? Well, when raise our needs to God, for us to ask great things on one hand means that we actually believe and trust that he can provide the answer. It’s also good for us to remember that the Lord already knows what it is that we need before we even ask—even the big things. That’s just a reality of God. So what is our invitation if that’s the case? We sit before the Lord, in his presence, relating to him simply what is in our heart, but then trust that the Lord must simply hold us in that space for us to begin to receive the grace he desperately wants to bestow upon us in helping us receive his wisdom.

But what does it mean for us to accept the Kingdom of God like a child? Or what should we think of when this familiar passage comes to mind? Why don’t we consult an expert…

“What does it mean to be a child before God? It is to recognize our nothingness, to expect everything from God as a little child expects everything from his or her father; it is to be disquieted about nothing, and not to be set on gaining our living…To be little is not attributing to oneself the virtues that one practices, believing oneself capable of anything, but to recognize that God places this treasure in the hands of his little child to be used when necessary; but it remains always God’s treasure. Finally, it is not to become discouraged over one’s faults, for children fail often, but they are too little to hurt themselves very much.”—St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Peace,

Fr. Foley

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February 26