Saturday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green
Year: A (II)
First Reading — Isaiah 6:1–8
Isaiah's lips cleansed with a burning coal.
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying.
And they cried out to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. His glory fills the whole earth."
The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke.
I said:
"What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:
"See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:
"Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?"
I answered,
"Here I am, send me."
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 92(93):1–2, 5
Response: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power.
Response: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
Response: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.
Response: The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Gospel Acclamation — 1 Peter 4:14
Alleluia, alleluia!
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
Alleluia!
Gospel — Matthew 10:24–33
Everything now hidden will be made clear.
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows:
"The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?
Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
Isaiah's encounter with God begins in a way that many of us can relate to. Standing before the holiness of the Lord, he does not begin by talking about his strengths or qualifications. Instead, he becomes painfully aware of his own weakness. "I am a man of unclean lips," he confesses. It is a deeply human reaction. When we recognise God's greatness, we often become conscious of our own failures, mistakes and limitations.
What follows is one of the most beautiful moments in Scripture. God does not shame Isaiah or send him away. Instead, He sends a seraph to cleanse him with a burning coal from the altar. Only after Isaiah has experienced mercy does God ask, "Whom shall I send?" Grace comes before mission. God heals before He calls.
Many Christians spend years believing they are not "good enough" to serve God. We compare ourselves with others who seem wiser, holier or more confident. We wait until we feel ready before volunteering, sharing our faith or stepping into a new opportunity. Yet throughout the Bible, God repeatedly chooses ordinary, imperfect people. Moses struggled with speech. Peter denied Jesus. Paul persecuted the Church. Their usefulness came not from perfection but from their willingness to let God work through them.
Jesus continues this lesson in today's Gospel. He prepares His disciples for the reality that following Him will sometimes bring criticism, misunderstanding and even hostility. He does not pretend that discipleship is easy, but He repeats one command three times in different ways: "Do not be afraid."
Fear has a remarkable ability to silence us. We fear rejection, failure, embarrassment or being misunderstood. Sometimes we stay quiet about our faith because we worry about how others will respond. Other times fear stops us from apologising, forgiving, making peace or doing what we know is right.
Jesus answers those fears with a tender reminder of the Father's care. Not even a sparrow falls without the Father's knowledge, and every hair on our heads has been counted. These words are not meant to suggest that life will be free from suffering. Rather, they assure us that no moment of our lives is unnoticed by God. Even when circumstances feel uncertain, we remain safely within His loving gaze.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that holiness begins with God's initiative. He calls every baptised person to share in His divine life and mission (CCC 2013). It also reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives believers the courage to witness to Christ in the ordinary circumstances of daily life (CCC 1302–1303). We do not need extraordinary abilities to answer God's call; we need hearts that are willing to say, "Here I am."
Perhaps today's readings invite us to ask a simple question: What fear is preventing me from saying yes to God? For one person it may be fear of failure. For another, fear of what family or friends might think. For someone else, it may simply be the fear of leaving behind what feels comfortable.
Isaiah teaches us that God's call is never based on our perfection. It is based on His grace. The same Lord who purified Isaiah still strengthens ordinary people today. He does not ask us to have all the answers before following Him. He simply asks us to trust Him enough to take the next faithful step.
One Line to Carry Today
God does not wait for us to become perfect; He transforms willing hearts into faithful servants.
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