Saturday

18th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord shows a rare case of frustration with his disciples over their inability to help a boy who is being plagued by a demon. Throughout the Gospel Our Lord is preparing his disciples to continue his ministry after his death and resurrection, but on various occasions the disciples don’t seem to be up to the task. These moments in the early Church are a reminder to us of what we can improve on when it seems some challenge we’re facing is insurmountable.

In this case, Our Lord is expecting more faith from the disciples. It’s seen throughout the Gospel that Our Lord can only work miracles based on the faith of those who need them. The disciples’ faith, just like our faith, is how we connect to God, the true source of miracles, insights, and strength. We can never lose sight of the fact that God is active, but he wants to act through us. A seemingly difficult case–a boy plagued with symptoms that are like epilepsy, are chronic and life threatening, but are actually the result of a demon–to Our Lord doesn’t seem like one that requires much faith to overcome. Evil and difficulties often try to appear bigger and nastier than they actually are: with faith Our Lord helps us to put them into perspective. The enormity of God makes other things seem tiny in comparison.

Is Our Lord asking you to move any “mountains” today? A chronic problem? An enduring evil? Ask him to help you grow in faith today in order to face them and surmount them.

Readings: Deuteronomy 6:4–13; Psalm 18:2–4, 47, 51; Matthew 17:14–20.

17th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

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Our conscience is a voice inside of us, counselling us on what to do and what to avoid doing. There are those in our lives who try to help us to second that voice, helping us to see what is good, and what is true. There are also those who don’t really help us in the spiritual or moral life, and they try to drown out that voice, probably because they stopped listening to it in their own souls a long time ago, or are trying to drown it out themselves and want company. When stories of Our Lord in today’s Gospel begin to spread, Herod thinks it’s John the Baptist, back from the dead. Was he haunted by what he did to him? God knows.

John tried to second the voice inside of Herod urging him to do the right thing: to not treat his brother’s wife as his own, to be courageous when tough truths had to be acknowledged. Herod, despite all his power, was enslaved by an unhealthy relationship, by public opinion, and by a desire for Herodias’ daughter. Herodias knew how to manipulate him for her own ends: she hated John for testifying to the truth, and little by little Herod gave in to her desire to punish John. When Herod drew the line at killing John, due to his fear of public opinion, Herodias engineered a situation where another public would respond badly if he didn’t kill John, a situation in which he let himself get entangled due to his desire for Herodias’ daughter. In having John beheaded he was also drowning out the voice of the true and the good in his soul, aided by Herodias, who wanted to silence that same voice as well.

Circumstances and bad influences can hinder us from following that good voice of conscience in our soul, but that same voice reminds us that, in the end, our decisions are our own, and we must take responsibility for them. Let’s ask Our Lord today to help us hear his voice in our souls, to listen to it always, to second it in the lives of others, and to avoid those things, people, and places that try to drown it out.

Readings: Leviticus 25:1, 8–17; Psalm 67:2–3, 5, 7–8; Matthew 14:1–12.

15th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord works quietly and does not draw attention to himself out of concern for reprisal from the Pharisees. Nevertheless, he knows his mission must continue and hiding is not an option. Even today Christians experiencing persecution quietly risk their lives or their reputations practicing their faith, and even behind closed doors Our Lord is working through His Spirit and winning over souls. Even today Our Lord works quietly through His Spirit in the hearts of those who are broken, desperate, or thirsting for some meaning in life in the face of an emptiness that they experience in the world and in themselves. Our Lord may have been in danger from the Pharisees, but like his disciples today, the work must continue and he wants our help.

In a world that prides itself on making a lot of noise in order to be heard we must take to heart the prophecy of Isaiah in today’s Gospel that Matthew applies to Jesus and his mission (Isaiah 42:1–4; 41:9): no matter what adverse circumstances arise, Christ wants to bear hope and justice to everyone. When the prophecy speaks of the “Gentiles” it goes beyond the Jews to all the nations, just as today we don’t just focus on concerns “in-house.” Believers may be soft-spoken and not seek a lot of fanfare, but they are called to go out into the world, not just stay at home and hide. Through their efforts they help the Lord save that person whose faith, hope, or love is about to be extinguished, and those broken people who seem about to break completely. Those people don’t need scolding, condemning, or bullying but mercy and compassion. If the goal is hope, they should be encouraged and accompanied as that flickering flame is stoked once again and the damage in their lives starts to mend. There’s not a lot of recognition in this mission, and sometimes, sadly, criticism, but we must help Christ continue his work.

Our Lord is working in hearts that are weak and broken through His Spirit even today. Let’s help him in this mission through our courage, compassion, and hope.

Readings: Exodus 12:37–42; Psalm 136:1, 10–15, 23–24; Matthew 12:14–21.

14th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

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Today’s Gospel reminds us that every member of the Church, regardless of whether they wield authority in it or not, is a disciple of Christ. If anyone’s got an issue with him, they’ve got an issue with us, and vice versa. The only way to avoid that would be to stop being a disciple of Christ, and Our Lord warns us that denying him would lead to our denial before the Father. This touches on what he describes as the real thing to be concerned about in trying to follow him, the things that are healthy for the soul. He doesn’t leave us alone in those dangers; the Father knows everything that goes on, watches over each little detail and each big moment of our lives with loving concern.

If the Father permitted the Son to undergo the cross, we shouldn’t be shocked if we have to experience crosses in sharing his message. It can’t stay hidden in darkness or confined to whispers; many elements of society would like us to just keep to ourselves and not bother them. It’s hard when we try to share truth, goodness, and love with others and they reject it or threaten us if we don’t shut up. In the light of eternity those threats mean little; the real threats are the ones that make us question our faith or our resolve to be followers of Christ. Christ will stand up for us on the Judgement Day if we stand up for him in this life. Even if we’re not always vindicated on the time table we’d prefer, we will be vindicated in serving and loving him.

Let’s ask Our Lord today for the courage to share his Gospel on the housetops and show that we’re his disciples.

Readings: Genesis 49:29–32, 50:15–26a; Psalm 105:1–4, 6–7; Matthew 10:24–33.

13th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord reminds us that in the Christian life there are Lenten moments and there are Easter moments. The Pharisees and disciples of John the Baptist don’t completely realize that the Messianic time of liberation for which they’d been doing penance for millenia was now at hand, a cause for rejoicing. Jesus makes it clear too that everything is not going to be Easter from that point forward: his disciples would fast and be sad when his Passion was at hand. A Church that is all Lent is not in God’s plan, nor a Church that is all Easter in this life. The important thing is to live the moment as God would have us live it, and to celebrate every mystery of Christ’s life, both suffering and rejoicing.

He also reminds them, and us, of the importance of maintaining traditions and watching over them and adapting them with prayer and prudence as new situations arise. If a tradition seems to no longer completely apply to circumstances, adaptations should be done carefully in order to respect those aspects of its original purpose that are still sound. If we don’t use a tradition for it’s true purpose, instrumentalizing it to force something we want, we’ll ruin the tradition, just like the old wineskins in today’s Gospel. Traditions have history and we have to keep that history in mind in order to understand what they bear for us and how we can transmit them to future generations.

Let’s ask Our Lord today for the wisdom and prudence to live each moment as he would like us to live it, and to understand and use well the traditions he and the Church have handed down to us over the centuries.

Readings: Genesis 27:1–5, 15–29; Psalm 135:1b–6; Matthew 9:14–17.