Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Jude 17, 20b-25
Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand
by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life.
On those who waver, have mercy;
save others by snatching them out of the fire;
on others have mercy with fear,
abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.
To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you unblemished and exultant,
in the presence of his glory,
to the only God, our savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord
be glory, majesty, power, and authority
from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Alleluia See Colossians 3:16a, 17c
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mark 11:27-33
Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
May 30, 2026 // Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 11:27-33
Reflect on the Word //
My husband is a master conversationalist. We met in grade school, so I can accurately say that he has developed this gift for deep and meaningful conversation over many years of practice. I attribute it to his gift for making friends with other men who love to talk about meaningful things. Yes, he can chat about sports or movies, but he really comes into his own when talking about politics or social issues. He is naturally curious about the thoughts of others and unemotional about his viewpoints. I am happy to sit back quietly and witness his gift for encouraging people to get beyond the rhetoric or dichotomous thinking and into a deeper reflection on the true issues and complexity of the situations being discussed.
Jesus’s words in today’s Gospel remind me very much of my husband’s style. He answers one question with another question. Jesus refuses to be baited into answering a question that He does not desire to answer at that moment. He knows the motivation of those who ask Him and recognizes the consequences of answering the question.
Jesus knows the intent of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders who approach Him. They do so with accusation in their hearts. And after posing a counter question, Jesus rightly refuses to answer them.
Everyone is not entitled to know everything, especially when it could be damaging for a situation or a relationship. And this is true for your life too. You can refuse to answer the questions of others. Not everyone is entitled to know everything about you and your life, your thoughts or your ideas. You can retain some privacy, even when engaged with a master conversationalist. The world generally does not appreciate the truth. The Lord wants us to be free to process and know the truth, to bring our thoughts to Him.
When it comes to the Lord, however, don’t refuse Him. He is worthy of our time and attention. He is always ready to talk, to listen, and to help us come to a deeper understanding of ourselves and of Who He is in our lives.
Relate to the Lord // Spend some time in prayer today speaking to Jesus honestly from your heart. What do you want to share with Him? Listen for His loving response.
Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett is a writer, national speaker, and podcast host covering topics in psychology and faith. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and works at the important intersection of faith and developmental science, blending them in the original harmony God intended. Dr. Mary Ruth is the author of Daughter by Design: Discovering Your Identity as God's Beloved Daughter, and co-coauthor of Spiritual Discernment for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy. She is a contributing author to All She Had and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
Get Your Planner 📒
Be a Woman of the Word
Walk with Jesus
