First Reading Wisdom 2:12,17-20
The just one is put to the test.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 54:3-4,5,6 & 8
A prayer for God’s protection.
Second Reading James 3:16—4:3
James teaches about the wisdom from above.
Gospel Reading
Mark 9:30-37
Jesus teaches his disciples that the greatest are those who serve all.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus again predict his passion, death, and Resurrection to his disciples. The setting here is important. Jesus and his disciples are preparing to journey through Galilee, a Jewish territory in which Jesus has already encountered problems with the Pharisees. Perhaps this is why Mark indicates that Jesus was trying to journey in secret. In predicting his passion, Jesus is acknowledging the danger they will face and is trying to preparing his disciples for it. Yet Mark tells us that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask what he meant. Such hesitation on the part of the disciples is not characteristic behavior. Peter had no fear about rebuking Jesus in last week’s Gospel. Perhaps this is an indication that the disciples were aware that a new situation was emerging.
Mark paints a vivid picture in today’s Gospel. Having arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples enter a house. In this private place, Jesus asks his disciples about the argument they had while they were journeying. Again, the disciples are uncharacteristically silent and afraid to answer. They have been found out. Jesus then summons the Twelve, whom Mark identified earlier in his Gospel as those chosen by Jesus to preach and to drive out demons. To this select group of disciples, Jesus teaches that those who would be first in God’s kingdom must be servants of all.
Jesus then calls forward a child and teaches the Twelve that to receive a child in Jesus’ name is to receive both Jesus and the One who sent him. We might easily fail to understand the significance of this action. In first-century Palestine, children were without status or power, possessing no legal rights. In this action, Jesus is teaching his disciples and us that when we serve the least ones among us, we serve Jesus himself. Who are the people without power or status in our society that Jesus is calling us to serve? Do we do so willingly? Jesus teaches that God’s judgment of us will be based on this criterion alone.
April 12 - Second Sunday of Easter : Peace, Forgiveness and Faith
April 5 - Easter Sunday : Experiencing Easter Everyday
April 3 - Good Friday : By His Wounds We Have Healed.
April 2 - Holy Thursday : The Day of Love
March 29 - Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday : Human abandonment of Jesus
March 22 - Fifth Sunday in Lent: Dying to oneself
March15 - Fourth Sunday in Lent : The measure of God’s love
March 8 - Third Sunday in Lent : Reverence vs Religion
March 1 - Second Sunday of Lent : Rhythms of Ecstasy and Agony
February 22 - First Sunday of Lent : Knitting and reconciling creation together (2nd Sermon)
February 22 - First Sunday of Lent: Renounce Satan with the power of the Word of God
What is Lent ?
February 15 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Broken but Restored
February 8 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Saved to Serve
February 1 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Speaking with Authority
January 25 - Third Sunday in ordinary Time : Seek that which lasts
January 18 - Second Sunday in the Ordinary Time : Introducing Jesus to others
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO SRI LANKA
January 11- Baptism of the Lord
January 4 - The Feast of the Epiphany: Follow the Star
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