Celebración de la palabra

Saturday September 26

Saturday of 25th Week of Ordinary Time

INTO HUMAN HANDS

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?
“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.

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.

Reading 1 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

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.

Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10

Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Commentary

Ecclesiastes today outlines the stages of life as well as their unchangeable character. The young are advised to enjoy their youth and to ward off grief from their hearts. They are fleeting days and should be enjoyed while they last. For the days will come that bring no pleasure. They will be days of clouds and darkness. There will be no song and laughter. Man goes to his lasting home; the silver chord is snapped, and the golden bowl broken. Man’s dust returns to the earth; the life breath returns to God who gave it. The cycle never ends, nor will it ever be broken. Everything is vanity or a wisp of smoke.
The difference between Qoheleth and Luke is the latter’s strong afterlife belief. This is something that the Hebrew sage did not enjoy. The moments in life simply come to an end, and there they stay. Jesus’ assurance that he will be handed over to death was puzzling to his hearers but not terminal. Jesus was on mission from the Father and would return there. To all who put their trust in him, a final return to God is also promised. In many ways, Qoheleth is a prophet of doom; yet hope is the overriding theme of the Gospels.
Qoheleth is important to read if only to realize that here we have no lasting home. When we read of Jesus impending death, we realize at once that this is the avenue of our hope. Even in the midst of anxiety and difficulty, we are not downcast. If we remain faithful, he remains faithful. Of that there can be no doubt.

Points to Ponder

The endless cycles of Qoheleth
Hope through Jesus’ death
The lesson of Qoheleth

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.