May 29, 2026 Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time / Pope St. Paul VI Gospel: Mk 11:11-26
Today is Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Pope Saint Paul VI. The passage from the Gospel of Saint Mark presents us with two images rich in biblical significance: the fig tree, and Jesus entering the Temple and driving out those buying and selling there.
We know that the fig tree serves as a medium for humanity’s encounter with God. The author of Genesis tells us that after our first parents ate the fruit of the tree which God had forbidden, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves” (cf. Gen 3:6-7). The New Testament offers a similar example: when Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus, who was short in stature, climbed a sycamore fig tree to see Him (cf. Lk 19:1-10).
Today, Saint Mark tells us that as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Bethany, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf from a distance, He went to see if He could find anything on it. But it was not the season for figs. So He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (cf. Mk 11:12-14). In his commentary on this passage, Saint John Chrysostom explains that the Lord cursed the fig tree for the sake of His disciples, that they might have faith in Him. Indeed, everywhere He went, He bestowed blessings and punished no one; yet at the same time, it was necessary to give them a proof of His chastising power, that they might learn that He could even cause the persecuting Jews to wither away. However, He was unwilling to give this proof on men, and so He manifested this sign of His power upon a plant (cf. Catena Aurea, Vol. 2, Ch. 12). In this light, we can understand Jesus’ subsequent action. Coming to the Temple in Jerusalem, He drove out those engaged in various transactions, thereby manifesting His authority as the Son of God the Father (cf. Mk 11:15-19).
By expelling the merchants and their customers from the Temple, Jesus intended to restore order to the Temple, for as He declared, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (cf. Mk 11:17). Yet among us, there exists a Temple greater than this physical one: ourselves. As Saint Paul the Apostle teaches, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Therefore, relying on the help of God, we too must strive to remove from our hearts whatever is discordant with the will of the Holy Spirit, so that our thoughts, words, and deeds may always be conformed to what the Word of God requires of us.
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and that your Church may rejoice,untroubled in her devotion.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,God, for ever and ever
May 28, 2026 Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mk 10:46-52
Today is Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time. The passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark recounts a miracle Jesus performed as He was passing through Jericho. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
In the time of Bartimaeus, Jesus journeyed throughout the land proclaiming the Kingdom, teaching, healing every disease, and driving out demons. Therefore, Bartimaeus likely heard of all these things by word of mouth. Thus, when he heard that Jesus was passing by on the road, he cried out with all his might, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” However, his cry did not immediately elicit a response from Jesus; instead, it drew rebukes from the crowd around him. They scolded Bartimaeus, perhaps suspecting he was an impostor, or assuming he had ulterior motives or hidden agendas. I imagine they even felt that Jesus should be marching on to defeat the Romans and restore the glory of Israel, rather than stopping for a blind beggar.
In today’s Gospel, when Bartimaeus continued to cry out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”, Jesus sent His servants to call him, saying, “Take courage; get up, He is calling you!” This gave him the opportunity to voice his deepest longing to Jesus Himself. When he came to Jesus, the Lord asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He did not ask for riches or wealth. Instead, he said, “Master, let me see again.” And Jesus healed him, and he received his sight immediately.
What lessons do this hold for us? First: Jesus does not impose His will upon us; He invites us to ask Him actively. Second: Bartimaeus did not ask for wealth; he asked for his eyes to be opened. He was not merely seeking physical sight, but spiritual vision—he longed to see the world of God of which Jesus spoke. By his request, Jesus healed him, granting him sight. Not only did he see this passing world, but he also perceived the world of God behind it, thus fulfilling the word of the Psalm: “When the just cry out, the Lord hears them and delivers them from all their distress.” (Cf. Ps 34(33):7)
Lord Jesus Christ, living in this changing world, we often fail to see You due to human weakness. The temptations of the world and human greed hinder us from seeing You, and even prevent us from hearing the cries of those who call to us for help. Today, as You healed Bartimaeus and allowed him to see Your creation, we beg You to heal us likewise. Grant that we may look upon all that we see in this present moment according to Your holy will, and give generously of ourselves to aid those in urgent need. You are God, forever and ever with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May 27, 2026 Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mk 10:32–45
Today, the text from the Gospel according to Saint Mark recounts Jesus’ third prediction of His Passion to His disciples, the dialogue between the mother of the sons of Zebedee and Jesus, and the dispute that arose among the disciples because of this exchange.
As we journey toward holiness, our reaction may well resemble that of the disciples who accompanied Jesus on the way up to Jerusalem—overtaken by fear before the uncertainty of what is yet to come. They were dismayed by what Jesus foretold concerning all that He was about to suffer in Jerusalem. Like James and John, we too are tempted to seek from God a security rooted in this world, according to our own desires. The world in which we live is filled with many uncertainties, but also with certainties. The uncertain elements—such as the fame, wealth, and human affections we possess in this life—change with time. The frailty of human nature, wounded by original sin, entangles us in these uncertainties and leaves us deeply affected, so that we risk losing ourselves along the path to holiness. For then, what we pursue is not the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, but rather the kingdom of this world and all its possessions. Thus, when we pray to God, we act like the mother of the sons of Zebedee, presenting our petitions according to our own will.
Today, Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us: “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”(cf. Mk 10:45) In this, He reveals to us that the God we follow is not the God of the Pharisees—whom they imagined as One who merely rewards the good and punishes the wicked—nor the God of the Sadducees, whom they conceived as delighting primarily in sacrifices. Rather, He is a humble God. He further proclaims this truth to us: if we wish to follow Him, we must no longer seek all that this passing world can offer, but instead strive for the Kingdom of God and the righteousness that leads to it.
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and that your Church may rejoice, untroubled in her devotion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
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