25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle B, Year I)
Community Word: Those who trust and serve God are open to His will.
Theme: We are open to God’s will when we are the least of all and the servant of all.
Promise: “God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life.” (Ps 54:4)
Reflection:
Greatness is found in servanthood. As described in the Gospel of Mark 9:35, this profound teaching is at the very heart of the Gospel. It is Jesus’s recipe for discipleship: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Jesus wants us to serve others as He did and to follow His example. This is clear from His response to the disciples as they discussed who among themselves was the greatest. Not wanting to disillusion them, He chose to demonstrate the deeper meaning of servanthood: “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,’”(Mark 9:36-37).
What then, is it about a child that is worth emulating? Greatness, when taken in the worldly context means power, a quality at odds with the character and nature of a child, who is powerless.
When Pope Francis takes a little baby from its mother’s arms to raise it above the crowd, he is repeating the significant gesture of Jesus. A child’s power is different – in a child rests the expression of joy and life, spontaneity and confidence. A child is a bearer of the future; he lights up one’s life and makes everyone else light up. Jesus wants to show that to serve others, we must give priority to the most vulnerable members of society, symbolized by the child who is totally dependent on others for his well-being. We are to serve those who are not in a position to serve themselves – the last, the least and the lost, because by doing so, we are in fact serving Him.
The contrary is true of power which, by human definition, is the self-centered ambition James speaks of in the 2nd reading, “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. ….Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?” Worldly ambition cannot satisfy, but rather, it leads to disunity and conflict. Jesus places before his disciples a very different kind of ambition, ‘wisdom that comes down from above.’ God’s ambition for our lives is for us to strive for something that ‘makes for peace, is kindly and considerate, full of compassion and shows itself by doing good.’ Jesus implies that as his disciples, this is to be our primary goal, and that all our other ambitions will have to be subordinate to this.
If we seek to be true Christian disciples, we must learn from Him, the Master-Teacher. We must be willing to humble ourselves and be of service to others, and in the process, die to one’s self. Hence, with confidence, we may be able to claim the Promise in the Psalms: “God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life.”
Prayer:
As we read your Word daily, thank you Lord, for giving us a deeper understanding of Your will. You call us to bring the Good News of Salvation to our brothers and sisters by serving them. We acknowledge, Lord, our selfish nature and failure to serve as you would have us serve. Forgive our shortcomings, our lack of care, our tendency to pursue our own agendas and our own self-interests, rather than the good of others. May you continue to fill us with wisdom from your Holy Spirit that we may focus on serving others with purity, peace, gentleness and mercy. Draw us into a closer relationship with You and your Son Jesus so that we can pray not selfishly or wrongly, but as true co-servants of Jesus. All honor, glory and praise are yours forever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Who are the person/s who come to mind when I think of true servant leader/s? As leaders, do they embody the spirit of servanthood in serving others? What qualities make them stand out as leaders?
2. How do I demonstrate my own leadership in the way I serve others? What hinders me from being of service to those who need my help?
3. Who should I reach out to this week?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
September 20, 2015 (Sun) Wis 2:12,17-20/Ps 54:3-4,5,6,8/Jas 3:16-4:3/Mk 9:30-37
September 21, 2015 (Mon) Eph 4:1-7,11-13/ps 19:2-3,4-5/Mt 9:9-13
September 22, 2015 (Tue) Ezr 6:7-8,12,14-20/Ps 122:1-2,3-4,4-5/Lk 8:19-21
September 23, 2015 (Wed) Ezr 9:5-9/Tb 13:2,3-4,4,7-8/Lk 9:1-6
September 24, 2015 (Thu) Hg 1:1-8/Ps 149:1-2,3-4,5-6,9/Lk 9:7-9
September 25, 2015 (Fri) Hg 2:1-9/Ps 43:1,2,3,4/Lk 9:18-22
September 26, 2015 (Sat) Zec 2:5-9,14-15/Jer 31:10,11-12,13/Lk 9:43-45
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
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