August 07, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Memorial) of Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs (Red)
(Opt. Memorial) of Saint Cajetan, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 412
Reading I
Dt 6:4-13
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.
Drill them into your children.
Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.
Bind them at your wrist as a sign
and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
“When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore
to your fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
that he would give you,
a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,
with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner,
with cisterns that you did not dig,
with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant;
and when, therefore, you eat your fill,
take care not to forget the LORD,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear;
him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.”
Responsorial Psalm
18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 47 and 51'
R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim!
And I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Extolled be God my savior!
You who gave great victories to your king,
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Alleluia
See 2 Tm 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Mt 17:14-20
“Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
Jesus said in reply,
“O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?
Bring the boy here to me.”
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
“Why could we not drive it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
REFLECTION:
Jesus always looked for faith in people. With faith everything is possible. Faith and trust in God's love for us. When a relationship with someone is good and we spend a lot of time with them, trust builds.
Let us consider what the quality of our relationship with Jesus is - do we really trust him - do we spend much time in his company? If not, why might this be? Speak to Jesus now, as one friend to another.
PRAYER:
Lord, I look and listen as you speak of the faith that moves mountains. I wonder why I am so far from that. The disciples felt the same. Saint Mark, reporting this incident, quotes the wonderful prayer of this epileptic boy’s father, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”
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