February 25, 2025
Tuesday of the
Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 342
Reading 1
My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.
You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm
37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
R. (see 5) Commit your life to the Lord, and
he will help you.
Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted;
their inheritance lasts forever.
They are not put to shame in an evil time;
in days of famine they have plenty.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey
through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022525.cfm
Commentary on Sirach
2:1-11
Today’s reading from Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) consists of
advice on what to do when things are going against us.
It opens with the address “My child”. This is a typical
introduction for a passage of teaching in wisdom literature. It recurs here and
there throughout Sirach. We might summarise today’s reading as saying that:
- Serving
God is not without its trials; moreover, this service must be given with
sincerity, perseverance and fidelity.
- Misfortunes
and humiliations help to purify people and prove their worth.
- Patience
and unwavering trust in God are always rewarded with the benefits of God’s
compassion and result in lasting joy.
First, we are told to be ready for testing situations, which
we are all bound to face at one time or another. This is a favourite Old Testament
theme and also found in the Gospel and the rest of the New Testament. St Paul
is eloquent on this, not least when speaking of his own experience (see 2 Cor
11:21, the beginning of the readings for Friday and Saturday of Week 11 of
Ordinary Time).
In order to be ready for such times, we should make sure
that our heart is focused on God’s will in our lives, and that we are firm and
consistent. At the same time, we ought not react impetuously when things go
badly wrong. That is a time for reflection and discernment. By staying close to
God, we can ensure that our “last days may be prosperous”. Concerning this we
mean not just in the material sense, but in being genuinely enriched in those
areas of our life where it really counts.
Without being fatalistic, we need to meet positively
whatever happens to us, and in times when we feel belittled, to practice
patience:
For gold is tested in the fire,
and those found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation.
What, at the time, may seem to be painful and destructive
experiences can be a source of strengthening and maturing if undergone in the
right frame of mind.
Second, we are advised to stay close to God, who will give
us strength, and to face up to realities which cannot be avoided. On the one
hand, we put our trust in God and in his help. We do our best to live upright
lives and put our hope in God’s care for us. But escaping from reality is not
going to provide a solution.
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
do not stray, or else you may fall.
You who fear the Lord, trust in him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
These are the qualities of those who “fear the Lord”. ‘Fear’
here does not mean ‘being afraid’, but rather submitting ourselves in deep
reverence to a God who is so far beyond anything we can imagine. This God,
awesome though he is, is a source of compassion, worthy of our trust and hope,
and the ultimate source of joy and happiness.
For those who are close to God and accept his truth,
humiliation by other people is purely an external experience. As the song says,
“they can’t take away my dignity”, no matter what insults or degradations they
throw at me.
Sirach advises that we:
Consider the generations of old and see…
He is speaking of those among our predecessors who followed
the advice given here. Sirach gives many examples in chapters 44-50.
And he goes on to ask:
Has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?
Or has anyone persevered in the fear of the Lord and been forsaken?
These questions can only be answered by direct experience,
but there is abundant evidence from the lives of the saints and other servants
of God that the answer to all these questions is a resounding ‘No’.
And, if we do fail in our service of God, let us remember
that:
the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he forgives sins and saves in time of distress.
The Lord’s compassion and his saving his people in time of
trouble is a common theme in the Psalms and the prophets. And it confirmed again
and again in the life of Jesus, and proved forever by his dying on the cross in
the greatest act of love that anyone could do for others. Perhaps, in addition
to being confident of God’s compassion for our sins and weaknesses, we might
try to show the same compassion for those who “offend” us.
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Commentary on Mark
9:30-37
Jesus was now spending more time with his disciples and
teaching them. He was teaching them things that the crowds were not yet ready
to hear. As we will see, his disciples were not too ready either.
Today we have the second of three predictions of Jesus’
passion, death and resurrection which he communicates to his disciples. On each
occasion, the pattern is exactly the same:
- A
prediction of what is going to happen to Jesus;
- Total
lack of comprehension of the meaning of what Jesus is saying on the part
of the disciples;
- A
teaching of Jesus arising out of their lack of understanding.
The prediction is stated simply. First, Jesus will “be
betrayed into human hands”. Other translations say “handed over” and still
others use “given up”. These terms are used many times in the Gospels. John the
Baptist is handed over; Jesus is handed over; the disciples later on will be
handed over; and, in the Eucharist, the Body of Jesus is handed over for our
sakes (“This is my body, which is given [tradetur] for you”). Second, he
will be put to death; and third, three days later he will rise again.
They arrive in Capernaum and, in the house, Jesus asks them
a question. Once again we have a reference to the “house’ with overtones of the
Church, the place where God’s people gather, as they do here to listen to the
Word of God. Jesus asks his disciples what seems an innocuous question:
What were you arguing about on the way?
Here we have another important word of Mark’s: “way” or
“road” (Greek, hodos). In the context of the Gospel it has
theological overtones. Jesus is the Way or the Road, and Christians are those
who walk on this Way or Road. So the disciples “arguing” has implications about
Christians arguing among themselves as they follow Christ ‘on the way’.
Jesus’ question is met with an embarrassed silence, because
they had been arguing among themselves about which of them was the greatest.
The minute the question was asked, they knew they were in the wrong.
Why were they arguing about this? It was once suggested
that, as Jesus had now for the second time announced his coming death, they
were beginning to accept the possibility of it really happening. They began to
wonder what would happen to them as a group without Jesus. Who would be in
charge? Which of them had the best qualifications? Hence, their argument. If
that was the case, then Jesus’ question was even more embarrassing. They could
hardly say, “Well, we were wondering which one of us would take over when you
are no longer with us.”
Jesus, of course, knew exactly what was going on in their
minds, so he gave them some guidelines if they wanted to be truly his
followers:
Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant
of all.
This is quite a hard saying, and most of us find it difficult
to put fully into practice. It is, of course, totally in opposition to what
goes on in the secular world, where ‘success’ means being on top, being in
charge, being in control, calling the shots.
Yet, who are really the greatest people in our society? Is
it not those, who are especially talented intellectually or in other ways, who
use their talents totally for the well-being of others, to the point of even
sacrificing their lives?
Apart from the obvious example of Jesus himself, we have a
long list of saints who all have one thing in common—they put themselves
totally at the service of their brothers and sisters. Success, promotion,
status, material wealth or executive power meant nothing to these saints. They
served, and their service was their power, a power which inspires in a way that
no mere politician, business tycoon or dictator could ever do.
To serve is not to be submissive or weak; it is not putting
oneself on a lower level than those being served. It is simply to be totally
committed to the good of others, and to find one’s own well-being in being so
committed.
Jesus then takes a little child, as a symbol of all those
who are vulnerable, weak and exploitable. Children are used by Jesus as symbols
of the anawim, the lowly and weak in our society. They are the ones
who are most of all to be served and protected and nurtured. In so doing, one
is recognising the presence of Jesus and the presence of God in them.
As Christians, we have much to be proud of in our record of
service to our brothers and sisters, especially those who are weak and
vulnerable. But we also have to confess that within our Church and in our
dealings with the ‘world’, we have had our fair share of hungering for power,
status and position. And, we have so often argued bitterly with each other “on
the Way”, about just such things.
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Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Opening Prayer
Father, keep before us the wisdom and love You have revealed
in Your Son. Help us to be like him in word and deed, for He lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Mk
9: 30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey
through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching
his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to
men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will
rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to
question him. They came to
Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?" But they remained silent. For
they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then
he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be
first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Taking a child,
he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever
receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me."
Reflection
Today’s Gospel narrates the second announcement of the
Passion, death and Resurrection of Jesus. Like the first announcement (Mk 8:
27-38), the disciples were terrified and afraid. They do not understand the
words about the cross because they are not capable of understanding or
accepting a Messiah who becomes the servant of the brothers. They continue to
dream of a glorious Messiah, and besides that, they show a great incoherence.
When Jesus announces His Passion and Death, they discuss who among them will be
the greatest. Jesus wants to serve, yet they only think of commanding! Ambition
leads them to promote themselves at the cost of Jesus. Even to the present
time, this same desire of self promotion exists in our
communities.
• In the time of
Jesus as well as in that of Mark, there was the “yeast” of a dominating
ideology. Today, the ideology of business, consumerism, and television shows,
all profoundly influence the thoughts and actions of people. At the time of
Mark, the communities were not always capable of maintaining a critical
attitude regarding the assimilation of the ideology of the Roman Empire. Do we
have the same problem today?
• Mark 9: 30-32 - The
announcement of the Cross. Jesus goes across Galilee, but He does not want
people to know it. He is busy with the formation of the disciples and He speaks
with them about the Cross. He says that according to the prophecy of Isaiah (Is
53: 1-10), the Son of Man has to be handed over and condemned to death. This
indicates the orientation of Jesus toward the Bible, whether in the carrying
out of His own mission or in the formation given to His disciples. He drew His
teaching from the prophecies. As in the first announcement (Mk 8: 32), the disciples listen to Him, but they do
not
understand what He says about the Cross. But they do not ask
for any clarification. They are afraid to show their ignorance! So many are
like this today. They read or listen and do not ask questions. The result can
be either ignorance, shallow understanding, or imaginative interpretations that
are incorrect.
• Mark 9: 33-34 - The
competitive mentality. When they got home, Jesus asked: “What were you arguing
about on the road?” They did not answer. It is the silence of the one who feels
guilty, “on the road, in fact, they had been arguing which of them was the
greatest.” Jesus is a good pedagogue. He does not intervene immediately. He
knows how to wait for the opportune moment to fight against the influence of
the ideology in those whom He is forming. The competitive mentality and
prestige, which characterized the
society of the Roman Empire, was already penetrating into the small
community which was just being formed! Behold the contrast: incoherence: Jesus
is concerned with being the Messiah Servant and they think only in who is the
greatest. Jesus tries to descend, they think of going up!
• Mark 9: 35-37 - To
serve instead of commanding. The response of Jesus is a summary of the witness
of life which He Himself was giving from the beginning: If anyone wants to be
first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all! The last one does
not win a prize nor obtain a reward. He is a useless servant (cfr. Lk 17: 10).
Power must be used not to ascend and dominate, but to descend and serve.
This is the point on which Jesus insists the most and which He gives a greater
witness (cf. Mk 10: 45; Mt 20: 28; Jn 13: 1-16). Then Jesus took a little child
whom He set among them. A person who only thinks to go up and to dominate would
not lend much attention to little ones and to children. But Jesus overturns everything!
He says: “Anyone who welcomes a little child such as this in my name welcomes
me; and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” He
identifies Himself with little ones. Anyone who welcomes the little ones in the
name of Jesus welcomes God Himself!
• A person is not a
saint and is not renewed by the simple notion of “following Jesus.” In the
midst of the disciples, as always, the “yeast of Herod and of the Pharisees”
(Mk 8: 15) could be observed. In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears as a teacher
forming His followers. “To follow” was a term that formed part of the educational
system of that time. It was used to indicate the relationship between the
disciple and the teacher. The relationship teacher-disciple is different from
that of professor-pupil. The pupils go to the class of a professor in a defined
subject. The disciples “follow” the teacher and live with him,twenty-four hours
a day. In this “living together” with Jesus during three years, the disciples
will receive their formation. Tomorrow’s Gospel will give us another quite
concrete example of how Jesus formed His disciples.
Personal Questions
• Jesus wants to
lower Himself and serve. The disciples want to ascend and to dominate. What is
my motivation in life? Does it match with all of my actions? Is it consistent
with the instructions from Jesus?
• Do I follow Jesus
and be with Him twenty-four hours a day, and allow His way of living to become
my way of living and of living together with others?
• Do I follow Jesus
by shuffling along the way, not really paying attention, “going along for the
ride?” Or am I eager, looking and listening, trying not to miss a moment with
Him?
• Many have
leadership roles today in society: as a manager, or parent, or teacher, or
official. How does one serve and be effective and responsible in that role and still
“be last” and serve?
• How does a child
learn? By watching every little action, the parent does and imitating it! This
how to learn as a disciple. Are we learning from Jesus by imitating His every
action like children do, or are we too “adult” for that?
Concluding Prayer
May the words of my mouth always find favor, and the
whispering of my heart, in Your presence, Yahweh, my rock, my redeemer. (Ps 19:
14)
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