Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
(Optional
Memorial of 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 suggests #28).
 |
| “Jesus Goes Up Alone Onto A Mountain To Pray” by James Tissot, 1886-94 |
Reading 1: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
Brothers
and sisters:
Through
Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that
is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do
not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God
is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
Obey
your leaders and defer to them,
for
they keep watch over you and will have to give an account,
that
they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow,
for
that would be of no advantage to you.
May
the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the
great shepherd of the sheep
by
the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish
you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
May
he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ,
to
whom be glory forever and ever..Amen.
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Commentary on
Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
This selection from Hebrews gives
us a definition of the kind of sacrifice to be offered by Christians: praise
from the lips and with works of love and kindness. The sacrificial offering of
communal sharing and love reflects the teaching from the psalms (see Psalm 50: 14, Psalm 51:18-19). This
is followed by the beginning of the closing salutary prayer as the Pauline
author ends the letter with a blessing.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (see 10) (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
The
LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In
verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Beside
restful waters he leads me;
he
refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
He
guides me in right paths
for
his name's sake.
Even
though I walk in the dark valley
I
fear no evil; for you are at my side
With
your rod and your staff
that
give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
You
spread the table before me
in
the sight of my foes;
You
anoint my head with oil;
my
cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Only
goodness and kindness follow me
all
the days of my life;
And
I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for
years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
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Commentary on
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Psalm 23
is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for
the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the
exodus (Isaiah
40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah
31:10).”[5] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in
the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who
follow the Lord and place their trust in Him, even into the “dark valley.”
The reference in the third
strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my
foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my
enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made
from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).” [6]
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
The
Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and
reported all they had done and taught.
He
said to them,
"Come
away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People
were coming and going in great numbers,
and
they had no opportunity even to eat.
So
they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People
saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They
hastened there on foot from all the towns
and
arrived at the place before them.
When
Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his
heart was moved with pity for them,
for
they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and
he began to teach them many things.
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Commentary on
Mk 6:30-34
This passage from St. Mark’s
Gospel continues the story of the disciples as they return from being sent, and
give Jesus a report of their efforts. The disciples are called “Apostles”
for the first time, as they are gathered to give an account of what they had
accomplished. They will not assume this formal title until after Pentecost, but
St. Mark uses it here, perhaps because they have now become Christ’s
emissaries, not just his students.
They go off to a deserted place
to rest in a boat but are followed by a large crowd. They did not sail
far from shore, since the crowd knew where they were putting in and were there
to meet them. The Lord looked at this new Exodus and saw them as "sheep without a shepherd:" "A
familiar simile from the Old Testament. It generally depicts Israel's
need for spiritual leadership (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Judith 11:19; Jeremiah 23:1-3; Zechariah 10:2).
Ultimately God himself promised to shepherd his sheep through the Messiah (Ezekiel 34:23; John 10:11-16)."[7] He began to teach
them.
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Reflection:
Of
all the possible elements of scripture available today, what strikes us most is
Jesus’ response to the Apostles upon their return from the mission upon which
he had sent them. His first concern was
that they go off “to a deserted place and
rest a while.” This is
important. The active Christian has
developed a mindset of service to others.
This attribute is clearly seen by others and the more service performed
by the giving disciple, the more seems to be asked.
We
look at the disciples (now called Apostles for they have started the work of
spreading the Gospel). When they came
back after their successful mission, we are told: “people were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no
opportunity even to eat.” If the
Lord had not insisted, clearly those who wished to see, hear and touch these
holy agents would have (inadvertently) brought them to an untimely end.
While,
for those who minister to others, the situation may not be as extreme in terms
of numbers, the consequences of not being able to say “no” are similar. If that person does not take time for oneself,
alone with God to recharge and refresh themselves, what is known as burn-out
(or worse) will almost certainly occur.
It
is for this reason that clergy are required to make an annual retreat. The wise pastor will recognize that pastoral
staff members should also be given this requirement and many do. However, what about the zealous member of the
community of faith? Too often no one is watching out for them. Too often, they are not offered the advice to
"come away by yourselves to a
deserted place and rest a while," but are constantly drawn upon for additional
service.
For
all who work diligently at practicing the faith, the message from Jesus today
is clear. You must take time to be alone
with the Father, to shut out the cries of those who would demand your attention,
and to listen only to his voice. It is
only in this way that the great faith that pours out of you onto others may be
refilled. It is a good lesson for all of
us today. Now we only need to follow it.
Pax
[2]
The picture used is “Jesus Goes Up Alone Onto A Mountain To Pray” by James
Tissot, 1886-94
[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 re-publication is not authorized by
USCCB and is for private use only.
[5]
See NAB footnote on Psalm 23
[6]
ibid
[7]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA. pp.
76
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