Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year A, February 25, 2017.
1st Reading: Sirach 17:1-15
God from the earth created man, and in his own image he made him. He makes man return to earth again,and endows him with a strength of his own. Limited days of life he gives him, with power over all things else on earth. He puts the fear of him in all flesh, and gives him rule over beasts and birds. He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears, and an inventive heart, and filled them with the discipline of understanding. He created in them knowledge of the spirit; With wisdom he fills their heart; good and evil he shows them. He put the fear of himself upon their hearts,and showed them his mighty works,That they might glory in the wonder of his deeds and praise his holy name. He has set before them knowledge, a law of life as their inheritance; An everlasting covenant he has made with them, his justice and his judgments he has revealed to them. His majestic glory their eyes beheld, his glorious voice their ears heard. He says to them, “Avoid all evil”;each of them he gives precepts about his fellow men. Their ways are ever known to him, they cannot be hidden from his eyes. Over every nation he places a ruler, but God’s own portion is Israel. All their actions are clear as the sun to him, his eyes are ever upon their ways. The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm:103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R/.The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Holy 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. The gospel of the Lord.
SATURDAY REFLECTIONS:
Jesus used the example of children to explain the way that we must accept the Kingdom of God. We must accept it as a child would. Not with skepticism or doubt, but with openness, joy and simplicity. But this passage above also reveals another subtle truth. It reveals the natural and healthy affection we must have for others.The world we live in today tends more and more toward debauchery and misguided human desire. Lusts tend to dominate our culture in such a way that it almost seems normal to see another as an object of desire. This is most clearly seen in advertisements, in Nollywood and in Hollywood. Sexual sins are rampant and affect many of us to such a degree that we are bound by them, not being able to break free. One sad result of this is that there appears to be a loss of healthy human affection. In an overly sexualized culture we can easily begin to see everything through that lens whether we realize it or not. As a result, an understanding of healthy human affection is lost.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus says, “Let the children come to me.” It goes on, “Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them.” These passages reveal to us the holy, natural and healthy affection that Jesus had for these children and for all of us. However, it was not only children who came to Him. It was also the woman caught in adultery who clung to His feet and it was John the Apostle who reclined against Him at the Last Supper. Human affection must be purified and redeemed in such a way that it is offered to others without selfish motives and, most certainly, without disordered sexual desires. When this can be done, just as Jesus did it, the embrace of a parent to a child, a friend with another, a spouse to the other spouse, etc., becomes a holy and natural expression of the love in the heart of Christ.
Pray with me: Lord, help me to be pure of heart. Help me to allow You to purify all my affections so that You will shine through. Free me of the selfish temptations of the culture we live in and give me instead a selfless expression of Your love. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled weekend.
Sourced by Wiezman Eleanya