Daily Readings - Gospel for Saturday, August 29, 2020. Pope Reflection

Daily Gospel - Readings for August 29, 2020.

Daily prayer for August 29.

Beloved Father, I want you to give me the strength today to carry out the plans I have. Fill my heart with the courage I need to know how to overcome every difficult situation. Give my heart and soul peace to act in the best way. May I please you in each of my actions. I trust that you will bless me now and not let me fall in defeat to any problem that comes my way. I love you Lord and I trust in your providence. Amen.

Reading for Saturday. Daily gospel

First Reading for daily Gospel: Reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah 1:17-19

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:"Brace yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you dismayed. "I, for my part, today will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront all this land: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the country people. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, it is the Lord who speaks."

Daily Psalm for Saturday.

Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17.

"My lips will tell of your help." (R).

Daily Gospel Acclamation.

"Alleluia, alleluia! Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia!" (Cfr. Mt 5:10)

Daily Gospel for August 29. Mark 6:17-29.

Daily Gospel reading for Saturday, August 29 (The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist): "At that time, Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, "It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife." As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him. An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, "Ask me anything you like and I will give it you." And he swore her an oath, "I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, "I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish." The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.".

Daily Gospel reflection by Pope Francis.

"Maintaining faith, courage and humility in the face of adversity".

In the reading of the daily Gospel, we see that St. John the Baptist never betrayed his vocation, aware that his duty was only to proclaim the nearness of the Messiah, aware of being only the voice, because the Word was Other, he ends his life as the Lord, with martyrdom.

The greatest man born of woman becomes small, little, little, struck first by the trial of the darkness of the soul, when he doubts that Jesus is the one for whom he has prepared the way, and then when the final moment arrives for him, ordered by a king fascinated and disconcerted at the same time by John.

(...) That bewildered king is able to make a decision, but not because his heart has been converted, but because the wine has given him courage. And so, in today´s Gospel, we see that St. John the Baptist ends his life under the authority of a mediocre king, drunk and corrupt, by the whim of a dancer and the vengeful hatred of an adulteress. Thus ends the Great One, the greatest man born of woman.

When I read this passage I confess that I am moved and always think of two things:

1. The martyrs.

In our martyrs, in the martyrs of our days, men, women, children who are persecuted, hated, expelled from their homes, tortured, massacred. And this is not a thing of the past: this happens today.

Our martyrs, who end their lives under the corrupt authority of people who hate Jesus Christ. It will do us good to think about our martyrs. Let us think of those of today.

2. No one has his life bought.

On the other hand, this getting down from John the Great continuously to nothing makes me think, that we are on this road, and we are going to the earth, where we will all end up. It makes me think of myself: I will also end up. We will all end up. No one has his life bought.

We too, whether we want to or not, are on the road to the existential anonymity of life, and this, at least to me, makes me pray that this anonymity will be as similar as possible to Jesus Christ, to his anonymity. (Daily Gospel reflection, Saint Martha, February 9, 2015)

Daily Gospel Prayer for August 29.

My God, help me to proclaim your Truth, even if many do not like it. To be brave must be my badge of struggle as it was for your beloved John the Baptist. Let my faith not be bowed down by threats or insults. Let all my actions be filled with your goodness. Do not let any of the odds of this world can rob me of the will to fight and get ahead, to do right and to win. Come into my heart and give me a faith so great that whoever is by my side can recognize You, recognize the face of Your love. O my Lord, you chose your only son so that, through his sacrifice of love, your mercy might be poured out on all humanity. You placed his holy name above every name. I beg you, by the ardent love of your divine Son, and by the merits of his infancy, to impress that Holy Name upon my heart. May it be always kept in my mind and my lips be happy to pronounce it in every occasion of danger. I beg you to become my shield, my defense in temptation, my refuge in danger, my comfort in crises, and my strength in the difficulties of life. Amen. (Healing with prayer daily gospel)

The Pope’s daily quotation.

"Sickness and death are not taboo. They are realities that we must face in the presence of Jesus." Pope Francis.

Purpose for daily Gospel.

Putting aside the useless concerns, things I cannot change at this time, to focus on solving those I can change. Say a prayer of trust to face trials.

🎧 Video of the daily Gospel.

Enjoy now the video meditation for Saturday, for the daily Gospel August 29, 2020. Mark 6:17-29. Saturday of the 21st week in Ordinary Time.

Map of readings for the day.

• Initial readings

• Daily Gospel Readings

• Pope reflection

• Daily Gospel Prayer

• Daily Gospel Purpose

• Video meditation for the Gospel

Daily Gospel Intentions for August 29.

With the readings daily Gospel, let us pray for all those prayer intentions for today, Saturday, that you wish to express. When you meditate on the daily readings, you deepen your personal relationship with God and grow in love. Write down in the commentaries all that you want God to give you or heal you through the reading of his Word in the daily Gospel for August 29, 2020. God bless you.