Saturday January 15

Saturday of 1st Week in Ordinary Time

God Calls the Weak  

 

Introduction

God has his own plans and standards, which are often at variance with our human wisdom. For example, he calls sinners – limited, deficient people – and they are good enough for him to do God’s work, even to be entrusted with a special mission. Saul is taken from an insignificant tribe of God’s people. He responds at first, but fails later.

Matthew is a typical sinner, a tax collector, one who was not only exploiting his own people but a traitor to them as a collaborator with the Romans. But he responds to Jesus’ call and becomes an apostle and martyr, faithful to the end.

 

Opening Prayer

God of mercy and compassion,
you call weak people, sinful as they are,
to give shape to your dreams
about people and their world
and to be instruments of salvation.
Give us trust, not in our own strength,
but in the power of your love,
which can do through us and with us
what we ourselves are incapable of.
We thank you for calling us
out of our frailty and alienation
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Reading 1: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.

Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”

Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”

Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.

“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”

 

Responsorial Psalm Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

(2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

 

Alleluia Lk 4:18

Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel Mk 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

 

Intercessions:

–       For the Church, a community of saints and sinners, that we the people of God, and our leaders may not so much condemn those who fail but give them new chances in life, we pray:

–       For people who have failed often and no longer dare believe in themselves, in God or in the community, that they may draw new courage and hope from our understanding and compassion, we pray:

–       For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord who called them notwithstanding their human weakness, and that with Christ, they may care especially for the poor and the weak, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, our God,
your Son did not deem it below his dignity
to go to the houses of sinners
and to eat and drink with them.
We are thankful that here today,
he sits at table with us, weak people.
We recognize your merciful love.
All we can say is: Thank you, Father,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

God, in this Eucharist,
we have experienced your forgiving mercy
and your call for hope and trust in you.
May we never look down
on people struggling against their weakness
or too tired to stand up.
Help us to recognize in them
our own flesh and blood torn apart
and crying out, aloud or in silence,
for an understanding heart and a helping hand.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. our Lord.

 

Blessing

How daring of Jesus, how sure of himself! Jesus chooses one whom all consider a public sinner and makes him his apostle, to build his Church on him, similar also on some other apostles, who will show signs of great weakness. God trusts us. Let us also trust him and ask for the blessing of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Commentary:

Jogging Behind Jesus

One of the best exercises for a healthy body is daily walk. American Heart Association recommends doing 10,000 steps a day. Being seated or stationary for long hours is unhealthy. The same applies for spiritual health as well. There is much movement in today’s gospel. Jesus “went out,” the crowds “came in,” Jesus “was walking.” But in the midst of all, Levi was “seated.” Jesus wants him on his feet. “Follow me,” he tells him. Levi gets up and follows him, and becomes a different man! You cannot follow someone while seated. Following means giving up one’s fixed stances, attitudes, beliefs, and practices and being on the feet risking a journey into new and unchartered territories, walking behind the one who matters most.  Do at least 10,000 steps a day behind Jesus and your spiritual health will be fine.

 

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF