Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
August 7, 2021
Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 412
Reading I
Moses said to the people:
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today.
Drill them into your children.
Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest.
Bind them at your wrist as a sign
and let them be as a pendant on your forehead.
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
“When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore
to your fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
that he would give you,
a land with fine, large cities that you did not build,
with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner,
with cisterns that you did not dig,
with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant;
and when, therefore, you eat your fill,
take care not to forget the LORD,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear;
him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.”
Responsorial Psalm
- (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim!
And I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior!
You who gave great victories to your king,
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said,
“Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely;
often he falls into fire, and often into water.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”
Jesus said in reply,
“O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?
Bring the boy here to me.”
Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,
and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
“Why could we not drive it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Sixtus II, pope and martyr, and his companions, martyrs
Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Cajetan, priest
Reflection: LACK OF FAITH
The gospel passage of today stresses the need to have faith and to nurture that faith. The experience of the disciples shows that faith is not easy. The disciples could not cure the epileptic boy, although they did their best. Jesus blamed it on their lack of faith (Matthew 17:20). Most of us believe in God and have faith, but we are unable to apply the faith to our daily life situations. When we encounter problems, we easily question God and give up our faith. As a result we are overpowered by our problems and we show signs of 'little faith'. The disciples of Jesus too experienced the same problem. They have been with Jesus for quite a while, witnessed so many miracles, listened to his teachings, shared his dreams, and were trained by him. Yet they were unable to have sufficient faith. Jesus rebukes them but does not condemn them or give them up. Jesus challenges them to go beyond the tendency to rely on themselves and to trust in God's power manifested in Jesus. Prayer is the climate where faith grows, where a new perspective is obtained. St. Mother Teresa in her book, Total Surrender says: "Has your faith grown? If you do not pray, your faith will leave you.” In prayer we focus on Jesus' promises and not on ourselves.