Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for the Blessed Virgin Mary)

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. [1]  Mass texts may be taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (USCCB recommends: # 35. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Pillar of Faith)
 

“Let the children come to me”
by Vogel Von Vogelstein c. 1815

Readings for Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary:[4]
 
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.
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Commentary on Jas 5:13-20
 
St. James offers a treatise on the power and need for prayer in the Christian Community. In the first instance he addresses the power of healing, giving strong scriptural support for the Sacrament of Anointing of the 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”). This practice was also mentioned in Mark (see Mark 6:13), as the Twelve anoint the sick on their missionary journey.
 
Next the author promotes the confession of sins as part of this process (“If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven”), and, as a practice in general, part of the process of coming before God in prayer. The concluding verses (19-20) speak of reconciliation of those who have sinned and come back to the way of truth, and the grace given to those who lead them back.
 
CCC: Jas 5:14-15 1510, 1511, 1526; Jas 5:14 1519; Jas 5:15 1519, 1520; Jas 5:16 2737; Jas 5:16b-18 2582; Jas 5:20 1434
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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.
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Commentary on Ps 141:1-2, 3 and 8
 
Psalm 141 is an individual lament. This part of the hymn supports the power of prayer, and the need for God’s grace provided in answer to these pleas. The faith of the just will not be rejected, and the salvation of God will be given to those who ask. See also the remarks on Psalm 142.
 
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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.
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Commentary on Mk 10:13-16
 
The image of Jesus portrayed by this passage demonstrates that those who had seen his works and heard his words saw greatness in him. They brought their children to him instinctively, that these little ones might receive the grace bestowed by his touch. This activity made his disciples indignant. They felt that their master should not be pestered by the children. The Lord, however, used this situation as a teaching moment. Jesus told the crowd that only complete dependence upon God’s support would allow them salvation (“…for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”).
 
CCC: Mk 10:11 2380; Mk 10:14 343, 1261; Mk 10:16 699
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Reflection:
 
We must, given the direction offered by Sacred Scripture, contemplate the need for, and power of, prayer in our lives.  If we think about the relationship, we hope to establish with God our Father and His Son Jesus, we can use the relationships we build on earth as a worldly model.
 
When we wish to get to know someone well, we speak with them, we ask them questions. We hope that by speaking with them we can uncover who they are, where they were from, how and where they grew up, and what they like and dislike.  The more intensely we want this relationship, the deeper and more intensely we talk to them, spending hours conversing about all manner of things.
 
With members of our own families, much of this discussion is not necessary since we share a common history and life. Much of what we need to know we have learned through long association.  The love we have for these family members is stimulated by our common desires, our common experiences, and the deep understanding we build with them over time.  A child knows the mind of their loving parent so well that the worst thing they could contemplate is disappointing that parent through actions they know would be against their wishes.  Likewise the child knows, without question, that if they are in trouble, their loving parent will do everything in their power to rescue them from that situation.  And if that child falls ill, the loving parent does whatever they can to see the child of their love is returned to health.
 
The analogy comes so easily.  If we wish to know God, to build that relationship with him, prayer is one of our best approaches.  Much of who God is and what he likes and does not like, we discover in the sacred texts of the Holy Bible.  The deeper we delve into that treasure chest of past experiences of God, the better we understand how to know him in our lives.  But God is not just a “historical figure,” he is a living God who loves and cares for us.  It is this present and living Trinity that we want to know.  So, we talk to him.  We tell him we love him; we honor him because he deserves honor, and when we are in need, we ask for his help.  We ask, confident as the child with a loving parent, that he will do all he can to save us from our difficulty.  He may show us the way, he may open a door, and if all that is not enough and he wishes to demonstrate his love more visibly, he may offer up a miracle.  They are more common than we know.
 
Today we pray to know our loving Father better.  We thank him for all he has done for us and in a special way, we pray for all those who are sick that through the Sacrament of Anointing, they might be restored to health and oneness with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
Pax

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by ‘BVM.’ The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The picture today “Let the children come to me” by Vogel Von Vogelstein c. 1815.
[4] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.