Saturday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)
James 5:13-20 | Psalm 140:1-3, 8 | Mark 10:13-16
St. James describes in today’s reading some precepts of true Christian life. In short:
- When you’re troubled, pray.
- When you’re happy, sing psalms.
- When you’re ill, ask for Anointing of the Sick.
- When someone else is ill, pray for him, and over him.
- Pray for others, period.
- Confess your sins regularly.
- Guide those who have sinned back towards God and away from eternal damnation.
Easily enumerated, but not so easily followed by us adults who have amassed a thousand cares in this world. However, aren’t these the very habits that we would like our own children to form?
Perhaps we should spend at least an hour each day being like the children that Jesus welcomed in Mark’s gospel, abandoning ourselves wholeheartedly to God and trusting Him to show us the right thing to do – which the above list pretty much covers.
Lord, remind us often of the innocence of love and trust that we enjoyed as little children, and help us experience all that again as we strive to love and trust You, and others through You. Amen.