Saturday in the Twenty-Fifth Week of Ordinary Time

[Scripture Readings: Eccles 11:9-12:8, Lk 9:43b-45 ]

When people saw the marvelous deeds of Jesus, they were amazed and believed he would be the one to restore the kingdom. Instead, Jesus rebuked their presumption saying, “The Son of Man will be handed over to be rejected, to suffer and be killed.”

And when this filled his disciples with confusion and dread, afraid of what was to come, Jesus overcame their despair with the promise that, “On the third day the Son of Man will rise again.”

Like St. Vincent de Paul whom we honor today, in our desire for heaven, if we begin to feel presumptuous, let us remember God's justice; and in our fear of hell, if we begin to feel despair, let us remember God's mercy. Because Jesus is our justice and our mercy.