September 25, 2004 - Saturday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time

INTO HUMAN HANDS

Readings:
Ecl 11:9-12.8; Ps 90:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 14 and 17; Lk 9:43-45

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
it remains to us on occasion
a cause for wonderment
that your own Son had to suffer and die.
But of this we are sure:
that you knew what was best,
that you loved him very much,
and that he died to bring us your life and love.
Accept our thanks, Father,
and help us to keep always in mind
how dear we are to you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction:
       The author of the Book of the Preacher is in many ways a modern man. He is a believer, he looks for meaning in life, he seeks happiness, not wildly but in relation to the God of the covenant, and yet life disappoints him constantly. He asks questions: how come? He has no full answer because he lacks the perspective of life beyond death. How to reconcile life and happiness with faith, lack of fulfillment in life with death, which seems to end all?

First Reading: Eccl 11:9 —12:8

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
Because man goes to his lasting home,
and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
all things are vanity!

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:3–4, 5–6, 12–13, 14 and 17

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel Introduction:
       "They did not understand it at all," says the gospel about the disciples, when Jesus told them about his coming passion. Jesus speaks of himself as the "Son of Man," the mysterious person of heavenly origin predicted by Daniel. "He must be delivered up," for he is also the Suffering Servant of the songs of Second Isaiah. Indeed, all this, about one who comes from God, is a servant, and has to suffer and die, is hard to reconcile and accept, at least from the human viewpoint. And to be told to follow his example is difficult to take too.

Gospel Reading: Lk 9:43-45

While all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, "Listen and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands." But the disciples didn't understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Commentary

"SOMETHING prevented them from grasping what he meant." It's always "something" when we don't understand it, or want to understand it, or even want to look at it. Fear makes us look away-which is the early stage of running away. If we could just look, we might not be so afraid. "They were afraid to ask him." Why? Was he not their friend? Why were they afraid of him? No, they were not afraid of him; they were afraid that what he was saying was true, and they didn't want to hear it.
"There's no need to be afraid of the truth," we were often told as children. There's every reason! In fact there's no reason to be afraid of anything else. To lie is to look away from the truth, because I'm afraid of it. Lies are evasions for the sake of comfort. Lies are afraid of nothing so much as the truth, because it has power to destroy them. "The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light…" (Jn 3:19). "Are you afraid of the dark?" "No, I'm afraid of the light!"

Intentions

- That we may be patient and forgiving with those who hurt us, we pray:

- That by his way of the cross Jesus may lighten the burden of all who suffer, we pray:

- That we may willingly share in the sufferings of Christ by accepting the pains of renewal and the trials that are part of life, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we celebrate in these signs
the memory of the death and rising
of your Son Jesus Christ.
Let our offering be not merely
a beautiful reminder of the past.
Give us today the mentality of Jesus,
that we too may know how to love and serve
together with your perfect servant,
the Son of Man, Jesus Christ,
our Lord for ever and ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we are amazed at all that Jesus is doing
here in our midst.
He visits us, shares his table with us,
renews our strength.
May we pay close attention
to what he has told us and done for us
and help us to understand all this.
Take away our fear and hesitancy
to follow him on the way to Calvary
as well as on the road to glory and joy,
for we believe that all you want is
that we are happy, now and for ever.

Blessing

Jesus went about doing good. He preached a wonderful message about love. He healed many, in their bodies, in their hearts and mentalities. Yet, he would die a terrible death, denied, betrayed and crucified. How is that possible? How can we understand this? May God give you this understanding and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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