FEBRUARY 26, 2022, SATURDAY
Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 346
Reading I
Jas 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
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 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
Mk 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.
GOSPEL REFLECTION:
The Gospel urges us to love. This scene shows how Jesus understood that with children. A crowd of them interrupted his preaching, and the apostles were shooing them away. They were noisy, energetic, enjoying life, running instinctively towards someone who also enjoyed it. The apostles spoke sternly to those who brought them: These kids are not serious. We are here to listen to the Sermon on the Mount and we can't hear him properly with all this noise and commotion. Jesus intervened, invited the children closer and laid his hands on them. He gave them two precious things that cost no money: time and affection.
Our treatment of children and of the vulnerable, of outcasts and those with disabilities can fall far short of what Jesus demands. The courage to reflect gently on past failings can give us wisdom and freedom to do better in the future.
Do I take the time to nourish and connect with my childlike qualities? This will help me retain a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude and excitement in the small things of creation.
PRAYER:
Almighty and ever living God, we thank You for everything that You've been done for us. Your extraordinary love, comfort and care is totally genuine. Always open our hearts to love and care our families and loved ones in all aspects in life.
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