Readings for Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17
Today’s selection is a prayer by the author praising God as the supreme ruler of the universe. He invokes His divine intervention to unify the faithful and demonstrate His omnimpotence.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
R. Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Using a refrain from the Sirach reading, this part of Psalm 79 asks God for forgiveness of past offenses and compassion in their need. This sin has, to the audience, resulted in their imprisonment.
Gospel Mk 10:32-45
In this passage from Mark we are given the Lord’s third prediction of what will come about once they reach Jerusalem. In this reading, James and John seek places of honor when the Lord attains his Kingdom. It is clear to the Lord they do not know what they are asking for.
Jesus asks them if they can accept the destiny to which he is called( Can you drink the cup or be baptized with the same baptism?). When they answer, yes, he predicts that they will indeed have the same fate (in their case martyrdom) as the Lord. But, he cannot assign the paces of honor, that is for the Father who sent him.
In the final part of the Gospel, Jesus describes the model of servant leadership. He tells the disciples they were not to lead as the civil authorities did but to lead as the Lord had done, by serving those entrusted to their care.
Reflection:
I am reminded of a time shortly after I had taken up my profession as an Industrial Recruiter and before I heard the call to the diaconate when my wife and I had a young Associate Pastor, Father Ed, come over to the house for dinner.
One of the elements of my secular job was to find out the career aspirations of the talent I had surfaced so I decided, during the course of my conversation with Fr. Ed, to ask the question of him. I think my words were something like “What are your career plans?” As I recall he looked at me like I had swallowed a frog.
Thinking I had been misunderstood I started him off saying “I expect that in your next step you will be Pastor of a Parish. How long will you do that before you go for Bishop?” Although I can’t remember his exact reaction, I think he may have almost choked on the wine he was drinking. It was then that I received my first homily (although I did not think of it as such at the time) about the Gospel passage we heard today.
Fr. Ed explained to me that when he was called to the Priesthood (he committed to High School Seminary when he was 13 or 14) it was for a life of service. He never had a greater ambition than to be a Parish Priest and that if he did anything else with his life he would need to answer that call as he had discerned his call to the priesthood. He must ask, in prayer, “Lord, what is it you want of me? How can I serve you and my brothers and sisters you have also called to yourself?” These were not his exact words, but close, and I recall that I pressed him about how he could become a Bishop which I am sure was amusing to him.
The point the Lord made in the Gospel is that to lead others in the service of the Lord we must be as humble as the Lord is humble. We must lead through example, and never expect that place of honor. The price tag might be higher than we thought possible.
Pax
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17
Today’s selection is a prayer by the author praising God as the supreme ruler of the universe. He invokes His divine intervention to unify the faithful and demonstrate His omnimpotence.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
R. Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Using a refrain from the Sirach reading, this part of Psalm 79 asks God for forgiveness of past offenses and compassion in their need. This sin has, to the audience, resulted in their imprisonment.
Gospel Mk 10:32-45
In this passage from Mark we are given the Lord’s third prediction of what will come about once they reach Jerusalem. In this reading, James and John seek places of honor when the Lord attains his Kingdom. It is clear to the Lord they do not know what they are asking for.
Jesus asks them if they can accept the destiny to which he is called( Can you drink the cup or be baptized with the same baptism?). When they answer, yes, he predicts that they will indeed have the same fate (in their case martyrdom) as the Lord. But, he cannot assign the paces of honor, that is for the Father who sent him.
In the final part of the Gospel, Jesus describes the model of servant leadership. He tells the disciples they were not to lead as the civil authorities did but to lead as the Lord had done, by serving those entrusted to their care.
Reflection:
I am reminded of a time shortly after I had taken up my profession as an Industrial Recruiter and before I heard the call to the diaconate when my wife and I had a young Associate Pastor, Father Ed, come over to the house for dinner.
One of the elements of my secular job was to find out the career aspirations of the talent I had surfaced so I decided, during the course of my conversation with Fr. Ed, to ask the question of him. I think my words were something like “What are your career plans?” As I recall he looked at me like I had swallowed a frog.
Thinking I had been misunderstood I started him off saying “I expect that in your next step you will be Pastor of a Parish. How long will you do that before you go for Bishop?” Although I can’t remember his exact reaction, I think he may have almost choked on the wine he was drinking. It was then that I received my first homily (although I did not think of it as such at the time) about the Gospel passage we heard today.
Fr. Ed explained to me that when he was called to the Priesthood (he committed to High School Seminary when he was 13 or 14) it was for a life of service. He never had a greater ambition than to be a Parish Priest and that if he did anything else with his life he would need to answer that call as he had discerned his call to the priesthood. He must ask, in prayer, “Lord, what is it you want of me? How can I serve you and my brothers and sisters you have also called to yourself?” These were not his exact words, but close, and I recall that I pressed him about how he could become a Bishop which I am sure was amusing to him.
The point the Lord made in the Gospel is that to lead others in the service of the Lord we must be as humble as the Lord is humble. We must lead through example, and never expect that place of honor. The price tag might be higher than we thought possible.
Pax
[1] After Links Expire
[2] The image used today is “Dead Christ Supported by Angels (Pietà )” by Giovanni Bellini, 1474
No comments:
Post a Comment