Saturday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
First Reading
Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:8
Rejoice therefore, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart be in that which is good in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thy eyes: and know that for all these God will bring thee into judgment.
Remove anger from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh. For youth and pleasure are vain.
Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:
Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:
When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:
And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.
And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.
Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,
And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):3–6,12–14,17
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past.
And as a watch in the night, things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.
In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.
Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.
We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us: and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ has done away with death
and brought us life through his gospel.
Alleluia!
Gospel
Luke 9:43–45
And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and cured the boy, and restored him to his father.
And all were astonished at the mighty power of God. But while all wondered at all the things he did, he said to his disciples: Lay you up in your hearts these words, for it shall come to pass, that the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
But they understood not this word; and it was hid from them, so that they perceived it not. And they were afraid to ask him concerning this word.
Reflection
Ecclesiastes begins with permission to rejoice. Youth, desire and pleasure are not treated as evils, but they are placed within the truth that human freedom carries responsibility before God. Joy becomes shallow when it forgets its source and final purpose. The Preacher therefore says, “Remember thy Creator”—not only when age and weakness arrive, but while strength and opportunity remain.
The reading’s images of ageing are both beautiful and severe. The trembling keepers of the house, the darkened windows, the fading music and the broken pitcher describe a body gradually losing its strength. Ecclesiastes refuses to disguise human mortality. Dust returns to the earth, and the spirit returns to the God who gave it.
This truth need not lead to despair. The Catechism teaches that death brings our earthly life to an end and gives urgency to the choices by which we accept or reject God’s grace (CCC 1007). Remembering death can free us from wasting life on resentment, vanity and the pursuit of things that cannot endure.
The psalm makes the same realism into prayer. Human beings flourish like morning grass and fade by evening, while God remains our refuge through every generation. Because life is brief, the psalm asks for wisdom of heart. It does not ask God to make us permanent within this world, but to fill our days with mercy and establish the work of our hands.
This is an important distinction. Our lives are passing, but they are not pointless. Work performed in love, repentance honestly undertaken and mercy offered to another person can participate in something eternal. We cannot preserve ourselves, yet God can give lasting fruit to what is entrusted to him.
The Gospel moves from public admiration to a private warning. The crowd is astonished by the mighty power of God, but Jesus tells his disciples to remember that the Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They have just witnessed power, yet he speaks of vulnerability. They see success, while he prepares them for the cross.
The disciples do not understand, and fear prevents them from asking. Their response is deeply human. A question can remain unspoken because we suspect that its answer may disturb the picture of God or the future we prefer. Silence then becomes a way of protecting ourselves from truth.
Jesus does not abandon them for their confusion. He tells them to keep his words in their hearts. Understanding will come through later events: betrayal, crucifixion and finally resurrection. Faith sometimes begins not with a complete explanation but with remembering what Christ has said until experience and grace disclose its meaning.
The acclamation reveals where this difficult road leads. Jesus has destroyed death and brought life through the Gospel. The cross is not the failure of his power but the form taken by his saving love. The Church teaches that Christ freely accepted his Passion and death for the salvation of humanity (CCC 599–618).
Ecclesiastes asks us to remember our Creator; Jesus asks the disciples to remember his words. Both readings resist spiritual forgetfulness. We forget that time is limited, that life comes from God and that Christ’s glory cannot be separated from his self-giving love.
Today we might ask which truth we are avoiding because it unsettles us. Perhaps it concerns ageing, mortality, a relationship needing repair or a question we have been afraid to bring into prayer. God does not ask us to pretend we understand everything. He asks us to remember him, remain near and trust that even our fearful questions can be carried into the light of Christ’s death and resurrection.
One line to carry today:
Faith grows when we bring Christ the questions we are afraid to ask.
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