Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Lectionary: 232
Lectionary: 232
The people of Judah and the
citizens of Jerusalem said,
“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”
“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”
Heed me, O LORD,
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.
Responsorial
Psalm31:5-6, 14, 15-16
R. (17b) Save me, O Lord, in
your kindness.
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
Verse Before
The GospelJN 8:12
I am the light of the world, says
the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
GospelMT 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to
Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”
Then the mother of the sons of
Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Meditation: Can
you drink Christ's cup?
Who
or what takes first place in your life? You and what you want to do with your
life or God and what he desires for you? When personal goals and ambitions are
at odds with God's will, whose will prevails? The prophet Jeremiah spoke a word
that was at odds with what the people wanted. The word which Jeremiah spoke was
not his personal opinion but the divinely inspired word which God commanded him
to speak. Jeremiah met stiff opposition and even threats to his life for
speaking God's word. Jeremiah pleaded with God when others plotted to not only
silence him but to destroy him as well. Jesus also met stiff opposition from
those who opposed his authority to speak and act in God's name. Jesus
prophesied that he would be rejected by the religious authorities in Jerusalem
and be condemned to death by crucifixion - the most painful and humiliating
death the Romans had devised for enemies who opposed their authority.
Jesus
called himself the "Son of Man" (Matthew 20:17) - a prophetic title
for the Messiah which came from the Book of Daniel. Daniel was given a
prophetic vision of a "Son of Man" who is given great authority and
power to rule over the earth on behalf of God. But if Jesus is the Messiah and
"Son of Man" prophesied by Daniel, why must he be rejected and
killed? Did not God promise that his Anointed One would deliver his people from
their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and justice? The prophet
Isaiah had foretold that it was God’s will that the "Suffering
Servant" who is "God's Chosen One" (Isaiah 42:1) must first make
atonement for sins through his suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5-12) and then be
raised to establish justice on the earth (Isaiah 42:4). Jesus paid the price
for our redemption with his own blood. Jesus' life did not end with death on
the cross - he triumphed over the grave when he rose victorious on the third
day. If we want to share in the Lord's victory over sin and death then we will
need to follow his way of the cross by renouncing my will for his will, and my
way for his way of self-sacrificing love and holiness.
Seeking
greatness and power
Right after Jesus had prophesied his impending death on the cross, the mother of James and John brought her sons before Jesus privately for a special request. She asked on their behalf for Jesus to grant them a special status among the disciples, namely to be placed in the highest position of privilege and power. Rulers placed their second-in-command at their right and left side. James and John were asking Jesus to place them above their fellow disciples.
Right after Jesus had prophesied his impending death on the cross, the mother of James and John brought her sons before Jesus privately for a special request. She asked on their behalf for Jesus to grant them a special status among the disciples, namely to be placed in the highest position of privilege and power. Rulers placed their second-in-command at their right and left side. James and John were asking Jesus to place them above their fellow disciples.
Don't
we often do the same? We want to get ahead and get the best position where we
can be served first. Jesus responds by telling James and John that they do not
understand what they are really asking for. The only way one can advance in
God's kingdom is by submitting one's whole life in faith and obedience to God.
Jesus surrendered his will to the will of his Father - he willingly chose the
Father's path to glory - a path that would lead to suffering and death,
redemption and new life.
When
the other ten disciples heard what James and John had done, they were very
resentful and angry. How unfair for James and John to seek first place for
themselves. Jesus called the twelve together and showed them the true and
rightful purpose for seeking power and position - to serve the good of others
with love and righteousness. Authority without love, a love that is oriented
towards the good of others, easily becomes self-serving and brutish.
Jesus
does the unthinkable - he reverses the order and values of the world's way of
thinking. If you want to be great then become a servant for others. If you want
to be first, then became a slave rather than a master. How shocking and
contradictory these words must have rang in the disciples ears and in our own ears
as well! Power and position are tools that can be used to serve and advance
one's own interests or to serve the interests of others. In the ancient world
servants and slaves had no personal choice - they were compelled to serve the
interests of their masters and do whatever they were commanded.
Freedom
and servanthood
The model of servanthood which Jesus presents to his disciples is based on personal choice and freedom - the decision to put others first in my care and concern and the freedom to serve them with love and compassion rather than with fear or desire for reward. That is why the Apostle Paul summed up Jesus' teaching on freedom and love with the exhortation, "For freedom Christ has set us free... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh [for indulging in sinful and selfish desires], but through love be servants of one another" (Galatians 5:1,13). Jesus, the Lord and Master, sets himself as the example. He told his disciples that he "came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). True servanthood is neither demeaning nor oppressive because its motivating force is love rather than pride or fear.
The model of servanthood which Jesus presents to his disciples is based on personal choice and freedom - the decision to put others first in my care and concern and the freedom to serve them with love and compassion rather than with fear or desire for reward. That is why the Apostle Paul summed up Jesus' teaching on freedom and love with the exhortation, "For freedom Christ has set us free... only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh [for indulging in sinful and selfish desires], but through love be servants of one another" (Galatians 5:1,13). Jesus, the Lord and Master, sets himself as the example. He told his disciples that he "came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). True servanthood is neither demeaning nor oppressive because its motivating force is love rather than pride or fear.
The
Lord Jesus summed up his mission by telling his disciples that he came "to
give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). The shedding of his
blood on the cross was the payment for our sins - a ransom that sets us free
from slavery to wrong and hurtful desires and addictions. Jesus laid down his
life for us. This death to self is the key that sets us free to offer our lives
as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and love for the Lord and for the people he
calls us to serve.
Can
you drink my cup?
The Lord Jesus asks each of us the same question he asked of James and John, "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink"? The cup he had in mind was a cup of sacrificial service and death to self - even death on a cross. What kind of cup might the Lord Jesus have in mind for each one of us who are his followers? For some disciples such a cup will entail physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom - the readiness to die for one's faith in Christ. But for many followers of Jesus Christ, it entails the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations. A disciple must be ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom for Christ and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required as well.
The Lord Jesus asks each of us the same question he asked of James and John, "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink"? The cup he had in mind was a cup of sacrificial service and death to self - even death on a cross. What kind of cup might the Lord Jesus have in mind for each one of us who are his followers? For some disciples such a cup will entail physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom - the readiness to die for one's faith in Christ. But for many followers of Jesus Christ, it entails the long routine of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, disappointments, set-backs, struggles, and temptations. A disciple must be ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom for Christ and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required as well.
An
early church father summed up Jesus' teaching with the expression "to
serve is to reign with Christ". We share in God’s reign by laying down our
lives in humble service of one another as Jesus did for our sake. Are you ready
to lay down your life and to serve others as Jesus did?
"Lord
Jesus, make me a servant of love for your kingdom, that I may seek to serve
rather than be served. Inflame my heart with your love that I may give
generously and serve others joyfully for your sake."
A
Daily Quote for Lent: Do
you wish to be great? by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Do
you wish to be great? Then begin from what is slightest. Do you plan to
construct a high and mighty building? Then think first about the foundation of
humility. When people plan to erect a lofty and large building, they make the
foundations all the deeper. But those who lay the foundation are forced to
descend into the depths." (excerpt from Sermon 69, 2)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, MATTHEW 20:17-28
Lenten Weekday
MATTHEW 20:17-28
(Jeremiah 18:18-20; Psalm 31)
Lenten Weekday
MATTHEW 20:17-28
(Jeremiah 18:18-20; Psalm 31)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant" (v. 26).
TO KNOW: For the third time in Matthew's gospel, Jesus taught his disciples about his coming passion and death, yet they still did not comprehend the reality of his words. A woman (Zebedee's wife in Mt 4:21) approached Jesus with the request for recognition for her sons James and John. She wanted them to receive a special honor in Jesus' kingdom. Her misconception was that Jesus' reign was an earthly rule with temporal authority. The other disciples were indignant (perhaps they wished that they had thought of it first). Jesus reminded them that the way to the kingdom was not the path to glory. Being a disciple meant humble submission to the will of God. Jesus did not come to be served, but to offer his life as a ransom for those held captive to sin – the way of the cross.
TO LOVE: Are my motives for Christian service self-serving?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, teach me to follow your example of humble service.
Wednesday 11 March 2020
Jeremiah 18:18-20. Save me, O Lord, in your steadfast
love – Psalm 30(31):5-6, 14-16. Matthew 20:17-28.
‘You shall drink my cup’
Our faith in God can lead us to do very radical things.
Willingly or unwillingly, we might become ‘persecuted for righteousness sake’
and, therefore, blessed.
Jeremiah, David and Jesus all speak of this experience in the
readings today. James and John imagine that it will be a little pain before a
future of glory. But Jeremiah and David express the despair and hopelessness
involved. They have stopped trusting other people, but become dependent on God.
Jesus warns of the cost of ‘drinking my cup’ and living for
others. These are not separate pathways; the more that we love God, the more we
love our brothers and sisters, the more we give our lives for the sake of God’s
creation. It is not easy and often not brief. Yet as we give of ourselves, we
discover a God of faithfulness, a God of solidarity, a God of love.
Saint John Ogilvie
Saint of the Day for March 11
(1579 – March 10, 1615)
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Saint John Ogilvie’s Story
John Ogilvie’s noble Scottish family was partly Catholic and
partly Presbyterian. His father raised him as a Calvinist, sending him to the
continent to be educated. There, John became interested in the popular debates
going on between Catholic and Calvinist scholars. Confused by the arguments of
Catholic scholars whom he sought out, he turned to Scripture. Two texts
particularly struck him: “God wills all men to be saved and come to the
knowledge of the truth,” and “Come to me all you who are weary and find life
burdensome, and I will refresh you.”
Slowly, John came to see that the Catholic Church could embrace
all kinds of people. Among these, he noted, were many martyrs. He decided to
become Catholic and was received into the Church at Louvain, Belgium, in 1596
at the age of 17.
John continued his studies, first with the Benedictines, then as
a student at the Jesuit College at Olmutz. He joined the Jesuits and for the
next 10 years underwent their rigorous intellectual and spiritual training. At
his ordination to the priesthood in France in 1610, John met two Jesuits who
had just returned from Scotland after suffering arrest and imprisonment. They
saw little hope for any successful work there in view of the tightening of the
penal laws. But a fire had been lit within John. For the next two and a half
years he pleaded to be placed there as a missionary.
Sent by his superiors, he secretly entered Scotland posing as a
horse trader or a soldier returning from the wars in Europe. Unable to do
significant work among the relatively few Catholics in Scotland, John made his
way back to Paris to consult his superiors. Rebuked for having left his
assignment in Scotland, he was sent back. He warmed to the task before him and
had some success in making converts and in secretly serving Scottish Catholics.
But he was soon betrayed, arrested, and brought before the court.
His trial dragged on until he had been without food for 26
hours. He was imprisoned and deprived of sleep. For eight days and nights he
was dragged around, prodded with sharp sticks, his hair pulled out. Still, he
refused to reveal the names of Catholics or to acknowledge the jurisdiction of
the king in spiritual affairs. He underwent a second and third trial but held
firm.
At his final trial, he assured his judges: “In all that concerns
the king, I will be slavishly obedient; if any attack his temporal power, I
will shed my last drop of blood for him. But in the things of spiritual
jurisdiction which a king unjustly seizes I cannot and must not obey.”
Condemned to death as a traitor, he was faithful to the end,
even when on the scaffold he was offered his freedom and a fine living if he
would deny his faith. His courage in prison and in his martyrdom was reported
throughout Scotland.
John Ogilvie was canonized in 1976, becoming the first Scottish
saint since 1250.
Reflection
John came of age when neither Catholics nor Protestants were
willing to tolerate one another. Turning to Scripture, he found words that
enlarged his vision. Although he became a Catholic and died for his faith, he
understood the meaning of “small-c catholic,” the wide range of believers who
embrace Christianity. Even now he undoubtedly rejoices in the ecumenical spirit
fostered by the Second Vatican Council and joins us in our prayer for unity
with all believers.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 20:17-28
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Season of Lent
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
your prophets remind us
in season and out of season
of our responsibilities toward You
and toward the world of people.
When they disturb and upset us,
let it be a holy disturbance
that makes us restless, eager to do Your will
and to bring justice and love around us.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
your prophets remind us
in season and out of season
of our responsibilities toward You
and toward the world of people.
When they disturb and upset us,
let it be a holy disturbance
that makes us restless, eager to do Your will
and to bring justice and love around us.
We ask You this through Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 20:17-28
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the Twelve disciples
aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up
to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and
the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the
Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised on the
third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with
her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her,
"What do you wish?" She answered him, "Command that these two
sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your
kingdom." Jesus said in reply, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him,
"We can." He replied, "My chalice you will indeed drink, but to
sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for
whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard this, they
became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great
ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did
not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for
many."
3) Reflection
Today s Gospel presents three points: the third announcement of
the Passion (Mt 20:17-19), the petition of the mother of the sons of Zebedee
(Mt 20:20-23) and the discussion of the disciples regarding the first place
among them (Mt 20:24-28).
Matthew 20:17-19: The third announcement of the Passion. Going toward Jerusalem, Jesus walks in front of them. He knows that He is going to be killed. The Prophet Isaiah had already announced it (Is 50:4-6; 53:1-10). His death is not the fruit of a plan established in advance, but the consequence of the commitment taken concerning the mission received from the Father, to be at the side of the excluded of His time. This is why Jesus speaks to the disciples about the tortures and death that He will have to face in Jerusalem. The disciple should follow the Master, even if He has to suffer like He. The disciples are frightened and accompany Him with fear. They do not understand what is happening (cfr. Lk 18:34). Suffering did not correspond to the idea that they had of the Messiah (cfr. Mt 16:21-23).
Matthew 20:20-21: The petition of the mother to obtain the first place for her sons. The disciples do not only not understand the importance and significance of the message of Jesus, but they continue with their own personal ambitions. When Jesus insists on service and the gift of oneself, they continue to ask for the first places in the Kingdom. The mother of James and John, taking her sons with her, gets close to Jesus . The two did not understand the proposal of Jesus. They were concerned only about their own interests. This is a sign that the ideology of that time had profoundly penetrated the mentality of the disciples. In spite of the fact of having lived with Jesus several years, they had not renewed their way of seeing things. They looked at Jesus as always, with the same look. They wanted a reward for following Jesus. The same tensions existed in the communities of the time of Matthew and they still exist today in our own communities.
Matthew 20-22-23: Jesus’ answer. Jesus reacts firmly: You do not know what you are asking for! And He asks if they are capable of drinking the chalice that he, Jesus, will drink and if they are ready to receive the baptism which He will receive. It is the chalice of suffering, the baptism of blood! Jesus wants to know if they, instead of the places of honor, accept to give their life up to death. Both answer: We can! It seems to be a response not given from within, because a few days later, they abandoned Jesus and left Him alone at the hour of suffering (Mk 14:50). They do not have a great critical knowledge, they do not perceive their personal reality. In what concerns the first place, the place of honor, in the Kingdom at the side of Jesus, the one who grants this is the Father. What he, Jesus, has to offer, is the chalice and the baptism, suffering and the cross.
Matthew 20:24-27: It should not be like that among you: Jesus speaks once again, on the exercise of power (cfr. Mk 9:33-35). At that time those who held power did not give an account to people. They acted as they wished (cfr. Mk 6:27-28). The Roman Empire controlled the world and maintained it with the force of the arms. Through tributes, taxes, it succeeded in concentrating the riches of the people in the hands of a few in Rome. Society was characterized by the repressive and abusive exercise of power. Jesus had an altogether different proposal. He said: It should not be like that among you; the one who wants to become great among you should become a servant, and the one who wants to be the first one among you will become your slave! He teaches against privileges and rivalry. He wants to change the system and insists on that service as the remedy against personal ambition.
Matthew 20:28: The summary of the life of Jesus. Jesus defines His mission and His life: I have not come to be served but to serve! He has come to give His own life for the salvation of many. He is the Messiah Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (cfr. Is 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9); 52:13-53:12). He learned from His Mother who said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! (Lk 1:38). A totally new proposal for the society of that time.
Matthew 20:17-19: The third announcement of the Passion. Going toward Jerusalem, Jesus walks in front of them. He knows that He is going to be killed. The Prophet Isaiah had already announced it (Is 50:4-6; 53:1-10). His death is not the fruit of a plan established in advance, but the consequence of the commitment taken concerning the mission received from the Father, to be at the side of the excluded of His time. This is why Jesus speaks to the disciples about the tortures and death that He will have to face in Jerusalem. The disciple should follow the Master, even if He has to suffer like He. The disciples are frightened and accompany Him with fear. They do not understand what is happening (cfr. Lk 18:34). Suffering did not correspond to the idea that they had of the Messiah (cfr. Mt 16:21-23).
Matthew 20:20-21: The petition of the mother to obtain the first place for her sons. The disciples do not only not understand the importance and significance of the message of Jesus, but they continue with their own personal ambitions. When Jesus insists on service and the gift of oneself, they continue to ask for the first places in the Kingdom. The mother of James and John, taking her sons with her, gets close to Jesus . The two did not understand the proposal of Jesus. They were concerned only about their own interests. This is a sign that the ideology of that time had profoundly penetrated the mentality of the disciples. In spite of the fact of having lived with Jesus several years, they had not renewed their way of seeing things. They looked at Jesus as always, with the same look. They wanted a reward for following Jesus. The same tensions existed in the communities of the time of Matthew and they still exist today in our own communities.
Matthew 20-22-23: Jesus’ answer. Jesus reacts firmly: You do not know what you are asking for! And He asks if they are capable of drinking the chalice that he, Jesus, will drink and if they are ready to receive the baptism which He will receive. It is the chalice of suffering, the baptism of blood! Jesus wants to know if they, instead of the places of honor, accept to give their life up to death. Both answer: We can! It seems to be a response not given from within, because a few days later, they abandoned Jesus and left Him alone at the hour of suffering (Mk 14:50). They do not have a great critical knowledge, they do not perceive their personal reality. In what concerns the first place, the place of honor, in the Kingdom at the side of Jesus, the one who grants this is the Father. What he, Jesus, has to offer, is the chalice and the baptism, suffering and the cross.
Matthew 20:24-27: It should not be like that among you: Jesus speaks once again, on the exercise of power (cfr. Mk 9:33-35). At that time those who held power did not give an account to people. They acted as they wished (cfr. Mk 6:27-28). The Roman Empire controlled the world and maintained it with the force of the arms. Through tributes, taxes, it succeeded in concentrating the riches of the people in the hands of a few in Rome. Society was characterized by the repressive and abusive exercise of power. Jesus had an altogether different proposal. He said: It should not be like that among you; the one who wants to become great among you should become a servant, and the one who wants to be the first one among you will become your slave! He teaches against privileges and rivalry. He wants to change the system and insists on that service as the remedy against personal ambition.
Matthew 20:28: The summary of the life of Jesus. Jesus defines His mission and His life: I have not come to be served but to serve! He has come to give His own life for the salvation of many. He is the Messiah Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (cfr. Is 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9); 52:13-53:12). He learned from His Mother who said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! (Lk 1:38). A totally new proposal for the society of that time.
4) Personal questions
James and John ask for a favor and Jesus promises suffering.
What do I ask Jesus for in my prayer? How do I accept suffering and the pains
and sorrow which come to me in my life?
Jesus said: It should not be like that among you! Does my way of living in community follow this advice of Jesus?
Jesus said: It should not be like that among you! Does my way of living in community follow this advice of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
Draw me out of the net they have spread for me,
for You are my refuge;
into Your hands I commit my spirit,
by You have I been redeemed. God of truth. (Ps 31,4-5)
for You are my refuge;
into Your hands I commit my spirit,
by You have I been redeemed. God of truth. (Ps 31,4-5)
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