Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Optional Memorial for Saint John of Capistrano, Priest) 
Proper readings for the Memorial of St. John of Capistrano 
Biographical information about St. John of Capistrano
 
Or
 
(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 recommends: #39B Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy, I, II)

“St Giustina and the Guardian Angel
Commending the Soul of an Infant
to the Madonna and Child”
by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1792-93

 
Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time [2]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [3]
 
Readings and Commentary: [4]
 
Reading 1: Romans 8:1-11
 
Brothers and sisters:
Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the law of sin and death.
For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do,
this God has done:
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh
are concerned with the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the spirit
with the things of the spirit.
The concern of the flesh is death,
but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God;
it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
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Commentary on Rom 8:1-11
 
In the first section of this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans he differentiates between the disconnected law that leads to death and the law connected and fulfilled in Christ that leads to salvation.  He goes on to say that those who concern themselves more with the material world have chosen death while those who have elected to pursue life in the spirit have chosen life eternal.
 
The apostle expands upon the idea that through the Law of Moses sin entered the word. This occurred through the existential mechanism of defining sin. Here he expresses the idea that only through Christ Jesus can one be freed from sin and death. The Law of Moses cannot accomplish this freedom, is “powerless to do so” since it is “weakened by the flesh”; that is, implemented as it is understood by mankind. Christ, who came to fulfill the law provides the means of freedom from sin and death for Christians, since they live in the spirit, coming to righteousness. He focuses on what disciples of Christ must do to please God which must come through the spirit, not the flesh. Paul makes it clear that the Spirit is "of God," for the new principle of Christian vitality is derived from the same source as all the other divine manifestations of salvation. The baptized Christian is not only "in the Spirit," but the Spirit is now said to dwell in him.
 
CCC: Rom 8:2 782; Rom 8:3 602; Rom 8:9 693; Rom 8:11 632, 658, 693, 695, 989, 990
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
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Commentary on Ps 24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
 
Psalm 24 is a processional song. It recalls that God is the great Creator and he calls his people to be faithful. It asks the question: "Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?" The psalmist answers, only those who are sinless (completely reconciled to God). They who achieve that beatified state will receive the reward of eternal life from the Savior. It focuses on the character of the one who worthily seeks God, and the one who is worthy to come into God’s kingdom and stand before him. We are answered: “He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.”
 
This is part of a hymn of entrance, sung as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple at Jerusalem, followed by the faithful. Once again in this song, we find a reference borrowed by St. John’s Revelation (Revelation 14:5), and an image created in the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:22). Who are the ones allowed full access to God?
 
CCC: Ps 24:6 2582
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Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
 
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
 
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree  
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
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Commentary on Lk 13:1-9
 
In the story from St. Luke, there is once more a reminder that urgency is required in seeking repentance. The story begins with an explanation by the Lord that victims of Roman punishment ("whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices"), and victims of an accident ("those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them"), were not singled out by God for punishment. These statements are followed by the parable of the barren fig tree as a way of saying that God, at some point, will become impatient, and will call sinners to account for their actions.
 
The incidents recorded at the beginning of this reading (likely the accidental death of those on whom the tower fell) are found only in St. Luke’s Gospel. Based upon historical works of the time, the actions of Pilate were in keeping with his character. Jesus uses the event to call his audience to repentance.
 
“Following on the call to repentance, the parable of the barren fig tree presents a story about the continuing patience of God with those who have not yet given evidence of their repentance (see Luke 3:8). The parable may also be alluding to the delay of the end time, when punishment will be meted out, and the importance of preparing for the end of the age because the delay will not be permanent.” [5]
 
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Reflection:
 
There was recently a news report about an unusual car chase.  A woman was captured on camera driving down a freeway during the day.  She was driving erratically and when the person in another car pulled up next to her, she was clearly asleep at the wheel.  The observing car honked at her and while she jerked away for a short time, soon she was weaving again.  This incredible saga lasted for 58 miles until a highway patrol vehicle finally pulled her over.
 
Anyone who has been driving for a number of years has probably had a situation where they caught themselves nodding off.  We all know how dangerous it can be to fall asleep at the wheel.  The Lord is making that same point in the Gospel.  We cannot afford to fall asleep at the wheel of our faith and we all know that happens in those circumstances as well-we are in danger of crashing (i.e. embracing the Evil One’s plan).
 
When we are driving and begin to get drowsy, we know we need to pull over and get some sleep.  When we feel ourselves weaving on the road of faith it’s time to stop what we are doing and spend some time with the Lord.  That can be in prayer, in meditation, with the Holy Scripture or with the sacraments.  The point is that we need to be constantly vigilant.
 
Today we thank God for watching over us and keeping us safe.  We thank the Lord in a special way when he sends us reminders like the one we received today.  We vow to remain awake and vigilant and continue to fill up our spiritual selves as we continue our journey in life to the one who promises us eternal life.
 
Pax
 

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[1] General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5: “Outside Advent, Christmas Time, Lent, and Easter Time, on Saturdays which have no commemoration having the rank of Obligatory Memorial or higher, a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be celebrated. This is indicated in the calendar by “BVM.” The readings and prayers may be selected from the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
[2] The picture is “St Giustina and the Guardian Angel Commending the Soul of an Infant to the Madonna and Child” by Gaetano Gandolfi, 1792-93.
[3] S.S. Commemoratio
[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 republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[5] NAB footnote on Luke 13:6-9.