Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Into Human Hands
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. 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 fulfilment in life with death, which seems to end all?
Gospel. “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.
First Reading
Rejoice, young man, in your youth and guide your heart well while you’re young; follow your desires and pursue your ambitions, but remember that God will consider everything you do.
Drive sorrow from your heart and pain from your flesh, for youth and dark hair will not last.
Be mindful of your Creator while you’re young, before the time of sorrow arrives when you have to say, “This gives me no pleasure.”
And before the sun, moon, and stars withdraw their light, and before the clouds gather again after the rain.
On the day when the guardians of the house tremble, when sturdy men are bowed and those at the mill stop working because they are too few, when it grows dim for those looking through the windows,
and the doors are shut, and the noise of the mill grows faint, the sparrow stops chirping and the bird song is silenced,
when one fears the slopes and walking becomes frightening; yet the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is fat, and the caperberry bears fruit that serves no purpose, because man goes onward to his eternal home and mourners gather in the street,
even before the silver chain is broken or the golden globe is shattered, before the pitcher is broken at the fountain or the wheel at the mill,
before the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Meaningless! Meaningless! The Teacher says: all is meaningless!
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17
R. (1) 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 Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
And everyone who saw it was amazed at God’s marvelous work.
Listen, and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.”
But the disciples didn’t understand what he meant; something prevented them from grasping it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Prayers of the Faithful
– 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 forever.
Blessing
Jesus went about doing good. He preached a wonderful message about love. He healed many in their bodies, hearts, and mindsets. 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.
REFLECTIONS
Luke 9:43b-45
Beyond Applause: The Road to the Cross
Luke places Jesus’ warning about suffering at a moment of amazement after he frees a suffering boy. Jesus appears powerful and successful. Then he tells his disciples: “Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.”
William Barclay notes that the incident ends by pointing again toward the Cross. Jesus could have followed the path of popularity. The crowd was ready to celebrate him; his power promised triumph. Yet Jesus refuses to build his mission upon applause. His greatness lies in rejecting temporary success and freely choosing the Cross he will ask his followers to carry.
The disciples cannot understand because Jesus’ words contradict their expectations. After witnessing glory, they imagine that the Messiah’s journey must continue toward power. Betrayal, vulnerability, and suffering do not fit their picture of God’s chosen one. However, fear prevents them from asking questions, leaving them confused.
Their silence offers a warning. Faith does not grow when we hide questions. When Christ’s teaching unsettles our assumptions, we must remain close, listen, and ask rather than retreat into fear.
This passage corrects our tendency to identify God’s favour with success. Jesus shows that obedience may lead away from public applause and toward costly love. His glory is revealed not by escaping human hands, but by surrendering himself into them. To follow Jesus is to choose faithfulness over popularity and love over self-protection.