Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

God Calls The Weak

Other Celebrations for this Day:

Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II

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.

First Reading

1 Samuel 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

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

R.        (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 Verse

Luke 4:18

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

Gospel

Mark 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.”

Prayers of the Faithful

–   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.

REFLECTION:

Mark 2:13-17 

Called to the Table of Grace

Yesterday’s Gospel presented the first conflict over Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. Today, we encounter a second controversy—His decision to share a meal with sinners (Mk 2:13-17). It challenges cultural and religious boundaries, and it provides us with lessons about discipleship, forgiveness, and community.

Jesus’ actions stand in stark contrast to societal norms. When He calls Levi, a tax collector—a profession despised for its corruption—Jesus not only forgives him but invites him into His closest circle of disciples. Levi leaves everything behind and follows Jesus, symbolising the radical response to divine grace.

The controversy escalates when Jesus shares a meal with tax collectors and sinners. To the religious leaders, this act of dining together is scandalous. They believe that sharing a meal signifies acceptance and brotherhood with sinners, which they see as contradictory to holiness. However, Jesus' mission is to heal the broken, seek the lost, and restore the relationship between God and humanity.

This Gospel invites us to reflect on our own lives. Jesus calls each of us, sinners that we are, to His table of grace. His forgiveness is a gift, but how do we respond? Do we, like Levi, leave behind our old ways and follow Him wholeheartedly? And once forgiven, do we strive to avoid sin and embody the mercy we have received by extending it to others?

Jesus’ actions remind us that no one is beyond God’s call. His grace reaches into the most unexpected places, drawing us into fellowship with Him and with one another. In Christ, we find both healing and purpose—an invitation to live as His disciples, sharing His love and mercy with a world in need.

 Called to the Table of Grace - Youtube

Mk 2:13-17  

You call us in different ways.

When Jesus went out again, beside the lake, a crowd came to him, and he taught them.  As he walked along, he saw a tax collector sitting in his office. This was Levi, the son of Alpheus. Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” And Levi got up and followed him…. Jesus heard them, and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

I met them both in a meeting of young university students in Manila. Their group was involved in some social action projects, and they invited me to share something about the Bible to help them meditate on the word of God in their apostolate. I saw that they were very close to each other, and their companions even continued to tease them as a “love-team” during the meeting. They eventually did become boyfriend-girlfriend, going on dates and doing things together.

Then, one day, the boy had a realization and told his girlfriend that if their love was true, they should not keep it between themselves but it had to be for all. The girl was puzzled by what her boyfriend meant. In time, she understood him when he left to study for the priesthood, which also led her to think about her own vocation. She too entered a religious congregation and became a sister.

The “love-team” is now a pastoral team of a sister and a priest.

God, you call us in different ways. Give us the generosity to respond to your call and follow you where you want us to go. Amen.

you call us in different ways. - Youtube

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