Saturday, memorial of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), (1891 – 1942)
Psalter: Week II
Green
She was born into a Jewish family. She had a distinguished career as a philosopher and received a doctorate at Freiburg. She entered a Carmelite monastery in Cologne and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Teresa Benedicta was taken to Auschwitz and killed on 9 August 1942.
Entrance Antiphon Ps 69: 2, 6
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me! You are my rescuer, my help; O Lord, do not delay.
Collect
Draw near to your servants, O Lord, and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness, that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide, you may restore what you have created and keep safe what you have restored. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Moses said to the people: ‘Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising; you shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet; you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. ‘When the Lord has brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give you, with great and prosperous cities not of your building, houses full of good things not furnished by you, wells you did not dig, vineyards and olives you did not plant, when you have eaten these and had your fill, then take care you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You must fear the Lord your God, you must serve him, by his name you must swear.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51(live)
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise, when I call I am saved from my foes.
Long life to the Lord, my rock! Praised be the God who saves me, He has given great victories to his king and shown his love for his anointed.
Gospel Acclamation: cf.Ep1:17,18
Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20
A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment. Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Wis 16: 20
You have given us, O Lord, bread from heaven, endowed with all delights and sweetness in every taste.
Prayer after Communion
Accompany with constant protection, O Lord, those you renew with these heavenly gifts and, in your never-failing care for them, make them worthy of eternal redemption. Through Christ our
Meditation
What kind of faith does the Lord expect of us, especially when we meet setbacks and trials? There are moments when we might disappoint others or ourselves, experiencing failures or setbacks. In this Gospel incident, the disciples of Jesus fail to heal an epileptic boy. Jesus’ response may appear stern, but it is intermingled with love and compassion. His reaction reflects both disappointment with the disciples’ lack of faith and a deep concern for the well-being of this troubled boy and his father. With one word of command, Jesus rebukes the evil spirit responsible for this boy’s affliction and instructs it to “never enter him again”. This action reveals Jesus’ authority over spiritual forces and his compassion for those in need. The expression “remove mountains” was a familiar Jewish phrase for resolving difficulties. A wise teacher who could solve problems was referred to as a “mountain remover”. The passage suggests that through prayer coupled with expectant faith, God provides the means to overcome challenges and obstacles in our lives.