SundayGospelReflection.org

Gospel Reflection 20061022

Spending time in church can't make you a Christian any more than spending time in a garage can make you a car.Religious faith can't be inherited like freckles. You may choose to belong to families whose members have traditionally been Christian, perhaps for centuries. Your parents may insist that you receive the sacraments and go to Mass on a regular basis. But being a Christian is more than that. What makes a person a Christian is knowing Jesus as a unique person with both a human and a divine nature, accepting his teachings and trying to live them out, and modeling our own lives on his. Being Christian means being a disciple (a follower) of Jesus. It means making a conscious decision to live out his teachings even when it's unpopular and to try to live in such a way that this life will be the beginning of a connection to him—of developing a close personal relationship with him.

When it feels as if no one could understand, there is still one who will—God.When a decision must be made, it often comes in confusion. Talking to another person about some things may seem impossible or embarrassing. Amazingly, God doesn't pout and refuse to answer the door. Granted, it takes a bit of faith and practice to see the divine guidance in the working out of your plans, but God is there! If you find it difficult to talk to God, remember, your fears and concerns are understood before you even try to explain. Don't worry about having the right words. Ramble if you need to and repeat if you want. God doesn't mind. Talking to God can do two things: help you zero in on the problem and get your feelings out, and open you to feel God's gentle nudgings.

----------

To Serve Is to ReignOctober 22, 2006Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 10:35-45James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish me to do for you?" They answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, your apostles longed to follow you. You want to show me the difference between earthly and heavenly glory. For you, what matters is not being at Christ’s right or left but sharing in his redemptive work. As I kneel before you today, I want to offer myself and all of today’s struggles and efforts as a sign of my friendship and love.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to embrace the cross with love.
1. Gentile Rulers, AKA, the Bossy Soul.People who “make their authority felt” have a variety of ways to do so. Sometimes they thank you for your good idea and then proceed to tell you why it would never work. Their approach is sometimes subtle — a quiet reminder of potential negative consequences. Other times it can be a shout to help focus attention. We all know people like this, people who boss others around. Maybe we’re even one of them…. Jesus has only one answer for this outlook -- his own example: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.…” Jesus is Lord, but he wasn’t bossy!
2. If Not a Gulp, at Least a Sip. For James and John to follow Christ, they will have to “drink that the cup” that the Lord will drink. What is this cup? Fast forward to Gethsemane: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me” (Luke 22:42). Jesus’ own human nature struggled with the implications of full adherence to God’s plan. Ultimately, he would drink that cup -- one of bitter suffering, to the very last dregs. He called James and John to imitate him. He is inviting us as well. Fortunately, he prepares our souls to be generous. He guides us to greater spiritual maturity, offering us little “sips” from his cup. The small sufferings of daily life purify our souls.
3. Servant Leadership. Jesus’ life was a “ransom for many.” He was the servant of Yahweh and, as such, he constantly served others in their most profound needs. Jesus met people where they were the weakest: he helped the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers to be cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead rise, and to the poor he preached the good news (Cf. Matthew 11:5). A leader has vision, but unless he is a servant leader, he may see only his vision. We cannot allow ourselves to be out of touch with the needs of those around us. Let us strive to serve others by meeting them on their level.
Dialogue with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for this time of prayer. I have seen how you formed James and John. Through humble service of my neighbor, help me to go to the next level.
Resolution: I will perform a hidden act of charity for someone whom I find bothersome.

REFLECTION:
You do not know what you are asking
Why did they think they had the right to ask Him to do whatever favor they would ask of Him? Did they feel they earned it because they worked harder than the others, or were more willing to travel far away to spread his teaching, or practiced a greater charity with the poor and the children? How often do we want to know our reward before we are willing to undertake a task wholeheartedly? Even today it can be hard for us to see that we are not “earning” heaven as a result of our own efforts, but are being gifted with heaven because of God’s love and mercy toward his errant children. He was telling them of the cross they would have put on their shoulders for Him, and they failed to realize how heavy a cross it would be for them, and how terrible would be the cross Jesus would carry for us.

When the ten heard this, they became indignant
There is a saying: “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” meaning that mankind has a weakness for the vices that have their root in the sin of pride, especially if given a little authority over fellow creatures. Why did they become indignant? Was it because they were all thinking the same thing but James and John were faster on the draw? Did they feel a little smug when the brothers were rebuked by Jesus and put in their place? How did they feel when Jesus turned the scene into a lesson in what He expected of all of them, and then forecast their future hardships and even death for doing his work? The indignation of the others points out how much they still had to learn about themselves and about the work they would do for God’s kingdom. The smaller we are in moral stature, the harder it is for us to ignore what really are little things. Petty insults, unkind words, minor inconveniences, insensitive actions by another are really very small in the grand scheme of things. Better we should spend our time helping our souls grow large with faith and love so that little things will not distract us from our one true labor – saving our soul and the souls of those near to us. Rather than using our energy on little annoyances, we should save it to fight the one who would have us lose our souls to the world. We should save it to fight those who work against God and his church.

It shall not be so among you
All around us is a normal form of Christianity with its air of respectability and neatness. It is our challenge to realize fully the true nature of our Jesus as a dying Messiah and a servant. We know it intellectually, but in our hearts we tend to make Him more romantic and glamorous, and more a person of the past, than He really was and is. In a way, we like our God to be distant and clean, looking down on us from heaven, or from the Cross, in a manner which does not really intrude itself in our daily lives. We prefer to look up to the people we admire, not see them kneeling at our own feet. James and John obviously had no real idea of the true mission of Jesus. They were still picturing Him as a conquering hero with themselves at his side, sharing his power and glory when He has restored the kingdom on earth. Even though Jesus had told them his kingdom was not of this earth, they still did not see the eternal glory of heaven in the message that Jesus preached. Even though Jesus told them all of his coming passion and death, they still did not really believe it would happen. Now He is telling them that they, too, will suffer and die for the kingdom, but still they do not realize the full meaning of his message.

Jesus commissioned all of us to go throughout the world and spread the good news of his gospel. Preaching is not the only way we spread our Christian faith. Our works are the primary and, sometimes, only evidence of our own Christianity. Each of us is a candle in the darkness of the world, our personal flame lighting the way for others to meet Our Lord. Jesus is telling us that we should not look at worldly leaders to learn how to be good leaders ourselves. Rather, we should imitate Jesus Christ, who came as the slave of all on earth and now reigns in eternal glory with his Father in heaven. He made Himself one of us, lived the same life we do, suffered and died for us, and gave us the only true way to heaven. We should hold as our ideal role models all those who imitate Him. Jesus tried to teach his apostles and all of us that worldly prestige and respect will mean absolutely nothing when we come before God at our judgment. What will count is how much we loved God and his people, and how we showed that love. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and ask Him with all sincerity to help us imitate the virtues He and his Mother and his saints modeled for us. The path has been clearly marked for us. All we have to do is ask God’s help to stay on it.





Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 22, 2006
Homily Code: AH-34
Human Expectations about Rank and Privilege Are Turned Upside DownOn one occasion during the American Revolutionary War, preparations were being made for an up-coming battle. A man dressed in civilian clothes passed a corporal who was screaming orders at his men. Seeing that they were obviously exhausted from their labor, the man asked the corporal, “Why don’t you help them?” “Sir,” the corporal bristled as his anger rose, “I am a corporal!”
With a quick apology, the stranger took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and set to work with the soldiers. “Mr. Corporal, Sir,” he said when the task was completed, “whenever you need someone to help with a job, feel free to call on your commander-in-chief. I will be happy to be of service.” With that, George Washington put on his coat and left. Whether his motivation was gospel-driven or not, Washington understood that those who aspire to greatness or rank first among others must serve the needs of all.
Incidents like this one continue to surprise because the message of today’s gospel has yet to find a realistic foothold in our society. Who among us looks for greatness in small places or within menial ministries? There is a timeless quality in Jesus’ lesson on ambition, authority and service; perhaps this is so because the problem is ever with us.
Jesus turns human expectations about rank and privilege upside down.
If today’s gospel were to have a title, perhaps it could be “Be careful what you wish for!” James and John wished for greatness; their desire is evident in their request to be given the most honorable positions when Jesus finally came into his glory. No doubt, the other disciples’ indignation with the brothers was due, in part, to the fact that James and John had “beaten them to the punch”, as it were, by being the first to request a share in Jesus’ greatness. Reflected in the brothers’ request was the common expectation that the messianic reign would be both political and temporal.
Jesus instructed his disciples concerning their aspirations to greatness. The general standard of greatness for Jesus’ contemporaries was power and the extent of that power was determined by how many people were in one’s service or under one’s command. Jesus held forth a different standard of greatness, namely, that of service. The test of greatness in the reign of God is not how many people are in my service but how may I be of service to the many.
As an illustration of the quality of service to which he called his disciples, Jesus offered the example of himself. He completely gave in the service of others, even to the extent of giving his life.
Today, we refer to people being “elevated” to high office; successful people are said to “move in higher echelons.” Ambitious people “work their way up the corporate ladder” and manage to live high above others in penthouse suites. Women and/or minority executives, whose ambitions are stifled by prejudice are said to have collided with a glass ceiling. Throughout human history people have equated greatness with “climbing to the top” and “making a name for ourselves.”
We don’t particularly like “looking down” to find our God on his hands and knees in service of others. Do we have to join him down there?
How do we reconcile our ingrained attitudes with Jesus’ teachings? To whom do we look for an example? The George Washingtons and Mother Teresas among us are few and far between. Perhaps the challenge of today’s gospel is that we take time to allow the Spirit of truth to help us to bridge the gap between the call of the gospel and the reality of our lives. Only then will all of us be able to grow toward that greatness which expresses itself in service.
We are a people to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected.
Occasions for serving others are part of each believer’s daily experience. Parents, teachers, civil servants, managers of every kind, pastoral leaders, must all be servants, as Jesus was a servant. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we are expected to mirror him.One woman’s insight into the possibilities for service is embroidered on a little plaque that hangs above her kitchen sink: “Apostolic service is rendered here, three times a day!”Beyond our home and job, there are many opportunities to be the servants of others. Just look at the stewardship opportunities in our parish, city, state, and even the rest of the world, such as in Peru.
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 19, 2003
Homily Code: AG-6
Do the names Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Anthony Daniel, Charles Garnier, Noel Chabanel, Rene Goupil and Jean de la Lande, mean anything to you? Should they? Well, we should know at least the first two, since the group is often referred to as Sts. Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brebeuf and companions.
They are names we should know, for as Americans we celebrate them on October 19, as the North American Martyrs. All of them were French. All were Jesuit priests except for Goupil and de la Lande who were donn's who worked with the Jesuits. Some were in the new world a long time, others a very short time.
They worked among the Huron nation and all were martyred by the Iroquois between 1642 and 1649. All were canonized on June 29, 1930.
These were certainly men who did not ask if they could have a seat next to Jesus, rather they devoted them selves to being of service in the name of the Gospel. They all traveled from France at various times, traveled by canoe from Quebec to the area now known as Midland Ontario where they built St.Marie among the Hurons. Three, Goupil, 1642, and Jogues, and de la Lande, 1646, were captured and martyred near what is now Auriesville, NY. The rest were martyred in Ontario. Jogues was known for his love of children, Brebeuf for his great love for the Hurons. And so it went, by 1647 thousands of the Hurons had become Christian, but the fiercer Iroquois warred against them constantly.
The Gospel says one is to be servant, to be slave of all, and certainly the work of these missionaries was that, three hundred and fifty years ago. According to all accounts they joyously gave their lives for their faith. What might each one of us give for the faith we profess today? Is your life something you would give for your faith?
They gave joyously. Can we look at giving with the same sense of joy? Indeed we are all called to discipleship through baptism. Our call to discipleship does not send many of us to primitive conditions in lands where we have to translate scriptures and teachings to languages foreign to us. Instead, we are called to live as disciples in whatever town we are in, in whatever job we have, in whatever family life we have. And we are to live it fully.
Does it really take less energy and faith to be a follower today? No, I do not believe it takes less energy today. In fact it probably takes more effort and energy because we have more possibilities to draw us away from focus on whatever Jesus might call us to. The greatest challenge might be our American experience and our expectation of having everything right now. We are told in the advertising that we deserve it the best and right now. In fact we can have it in the car we drive, in the clothes we wear, in the image we achieve at the gym. We are challenged by our surroundings and ways to live for ourselves rather than for others, to have for ourselves rather than share with others.
We just don't see any advertising telling us how to live with a yes to Jesus. So, carrying that message and its joy is left to each of us to hear and reflect to those we meet. It is not a burden to present Jesus, it is a joy, for we have been chosen by Him to bring him to others.
Jesus tells us the best we have to give is ourselves and not just right now, but always. He asked, can you drink this cup? The disciples who were asking to be seated at his right hand said yes without any understanding. We can understand because we have proof of what he was telling them. He was crucified, died and raised up. So, it is possible for us to say we will accept the outcome of drinking the cup. For, in the Eucharistic sharing of the bread and the cup we say Amen to sharing in what lies behind this celebration. In the Eucharistic sharing of the bread and the cup we say Amen to the question of willingness to share in what he underwent for us. In the Eucharistic sharing of the bread and the cup we say amen to whatever we are called to as disciples. May our Eucharistic prayer today prepare us to say Amen, to say yes to being the body and blood of Jesus spent for others this week and every week.
We dare not ask to share the seat next to Jesus in heaven. We only dare to live lives worthy of sitting there next to him. We dare to be witnesses worthy of our participation in the sharing of the Body and Blood of Christ brought forth in a special way in this Eucharist. With Isaac Jogues, Jean de Breboeuf and the rest of the saints we dare to be servants, to be slaves for all.
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 19, 2003
Homily Code: BB-126
(To see a Spanish translation of this homily, click here.)
Today, the Holy Gospel tells us how two of the apostles, James and John, asked Jesus to do something unheard of. Coming up to him, they said, “Master, we want you to give us whatever we ask of you.” Jesus surely knew what they were going to ask since he knows and understands what people think then and now. No one can fool him because he knows what is going on in each heart and in each mind. Nevertheless, he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they asked for nothing less than two seats of honor in heaven. This happened even though they were followers and friends of the Lord and had heard what he had to say frequently: that he had not come to be served but to serve. How different is the Lord’s attitude from the attitude of those who would be leaders, those who always want to be served, admired and even feared! What these people want is to feel that they are important, bolstering themselves in this way while showing off their importance and looking ways to gain more power.
We see in the Gospel Reading how the other ten apostles were really offended by what James and John said. And Jesus, trying to minimize the problem and reconcile them, gathered them together and explained that those who consider themselves to be rulers lord it over others and oppress countries and peoples. And he warned them that they should not do the same thing, that whoever wants to be first must be the servant of all. He reminds them once again that the Son of Man did not come to be served. We all know that Jesus came to serve and, what is much more important to us, to give his life for us.
We see, with distaste, that in this society, just as in Jesus’ times, ambition is what dominates. We observe too many times that part of humanity is in constant competition with the rest. We can even see this in our own Christian communities. There are divisions; groups are formed whose aim is ambition and a desire for power. Nevertheless, none of this is what Jesus himself and the Church teach us. They ask us to be humble, to leave behind material things and to live in harmony with the rest of the community.
We are consoled when we see that there are also a great number of people who dedicate themselves to God, neighbor and the community. They always show that they want to help out by giving the best of themselves to others. And they do this in humility. And that is the only, the true, way to follow Christ and his teachings.
Let us follow the Lord, as he has asked us to do, avoiding sin and beginning a new, worthy life.
29th Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 22, 2000
Homily Code: GG-3
"POWERFUL PEOPLE" Do you have enough money to live wherever you want to live? So you know the people who can get you a high paying job? Do you have shiny teeth and blemish free skin? Do your clothes, and car reflect the latest styles and fads? Do your kids go to the most expensive schools and have all the latest toys and gadgets? If so, you are considered one of the powerful people of our time. You have authority. This is nothing new. Even the disciples of Jesus were vying for places of honor and positions of authority. There is something alluring about power and authority.
Whenever Jesus catches people seeking authority and power, he sits them down and explains to them exactly what they are asking for. This is an early version of "Be Careful What You Ask For, You Just Might Get It!" Jesus observed in his own culture what we can observe today. Many of us seek great privilege without accepting or expecting the responsibility that goes with it. We want what we want, when we want it. Our convince outweighs the consequences for others. We often disregard the warning of Jesus about putting heavy burdens on others shoulders while we ourselves are unwilling to help carry them ourselves.
To be the servant of others means to be at their beck and call. We have our eyes on them and not ourselves. We are attentive to their needs and try to anticipate their needs before they are even voiced. Great authority flows from great servanthood. And who is the "they" that we are speaking about? It is, according to Jesus, the stranger and alien, the widow and orphan, it is our enemy and those who seek to do us harm. It is the alienated and the oppressed that we are called to serve. Those who serve these chosen of God are great in the eyes of God. These servants are the ones who can act and speak with greatest authority.
In our families, in our church communities and in our neighborhoods, there are those that no one wants to deal with. Our temptation is to pretend as if they do not exist. They are there but they are not acknowledged. We often judge them as undeserving of our care and love because they are unappreciative of what we do for them. They do not thank us for our servanthood. Some even try to take advantage of our kindness. Our temptation is to abandon them for their lack of gratitude.
True authority comes from a life lived in honest and humble servanthood. The ability to call forth life from others comes from a life lived with and for those who are God's chosen ones. Jesus had the authority to call forth life from others not because he was the Son of God but because he lived his life for the sake of others. When others saw the way he lived, they grew to trust his words and follow his lead. He did not make people do what he wanted them to do. He led by his example and his life.
How can we extend our lives of service to those who are most in need? How do we move outside our comfort zones and connect with those who call us to be their servants? How can we rid our hearts of our own prejudices toward the poor, the lonely and the sick? How can we deal with our own fears and worries without putting them on the backs of others? It happens one on one in moments of great courage and humility. If we come to others in humility, ready to receive as well as to give, them we can be true servants of God and others. If we let others tell us how they need to be served rather than coming at them with our ideas of what is good for them, then we can be the true servants of God and others. If we can with the eyes and hearts of love and not of judgment, then we can be true servants of God and others. It is not a circumstance of them and us. We are all connected in this one family of God. Our true authority comes not just from saying that but from acting like it.
29th Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 22, 2000
Homily Code: SS-1
In Mark’s gospel today we see another example of the apostles, this time James and John, misunderstanding the mission of Jesus. Throughout Mark’s gospel the apostles just don’t seem to get it. They continually expect Jesus to be their kind of Messiah, one who would restore the glory of Israel, conquer all enemies, expel the Romans and establish a powerful kingdom. In this kingdom, James and John expect to have prominent positions, as do all the apostles. Even after all this time, this is chapter 10 of Mark, they still don’t get it. They have evidently overlooked the passage from the first reading of Isaiah in which he describes the Messiah as a suffering servant, one who came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life in ransom for our sins.
Recently I attended a ministry workshop at which the principle presenter stated at the beginning, “I don’t want to hear the word 'VOLUNTEER' this entire weekend.” Since the workshop was about involving more people in ministry, I thought his comment a bit odd. But as the weekend went on and I had more time to reflect, I came to understand what he meant.
God has endowed each and every one of us with certain talents and skills, gifts if you will. He gave these gifts to us and He expects us, He requires us, to use them to serve Him. We do that in this world by serving our brothers and sisters. This is nothing new! Those of my generation recall the Baltimore Catechism’s second question and it’s answer. “Why did God make you? To know, to love and to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him in the next.” By our Baptism, by our very human nature, we are called by God to a special ministry. This is essential Catholic teaching and has been so since Jesus walked this earth. We each have an obligation to do all we can to promote the Kingdom of God here and now by using those gifts our gracious God has given us.
All too often I find myself being like James and John, looking for glory and praise here and now. Too often I want God to do things my way rather than be willing to accept His will in all things. Too often I am willing to serve but on my terms, when it is convenient for me rather than when the need is there. Too often I am willing to give from my surplus rather than from my need. Too often I find myself ignoring the needs of my brothers and sisters because I don’t want to get involved. Too often I place material things ahead of my family, my friends and my parish. Too often my job, getting ahead or acquiring more things, blinds me to really important things like my relationship with those I love. Too often I am unwilling to take a stand for what I know to be right because it is socially unacceptable. Too often I want to be served rather than to serve.
Let’s reflect on those gifts we each have been given and how best they might be used in the service of our bothers and sisters, especially those closest to us. God did not give them to us to just sit there and rust. He expects them to be used. Used to build the Body of Christ. So, the next time you are asked to volunteer to do something, especially in the area of ministry to God’s people, don’t think of it as volunteering but as an opportunity to utilize the gifts God has given you. This is the ministry God calls you to do.
Also, we don't need to wait to be asked. God expects us to take the initiative, to see the need and respond to it. You are never too young not too old to do God's work. The Holy Father, on his visit to St. Louis, talked to the young people at the Youth Rally about this very thing. He told them not to wait until they were "old enough" but that now is the time. Now is the time for each of us. God calls us now to follow Him, ready or not. If we are to be followers of Christ, we must be like Him who came, not to be served but to serve.
There is work to do! There is a world out there to be saved! LET'S GET TO IT!
BONUS HOMILY
29th Sunday in Ordinary TimeOctober 22, 2000
Homily Code: BB-3
My dear sisters andbrothers: In today’s Gospel reading, Our Lord teaches us that those who are “greater” in this life must make themselves “weaker” and servants of others. Servant of the servants of God” is the title that the Popes of the Catholic Church have used for the last fourteen centuires. Pope John Paul II makes his pastoral visits around the world precisely because he obliged to do so if he is to be servant of all. He also does it to show us all that we must serve each other if we are to consider ourselves to be brothers and sisters.
Actually, everything that we do as a church could be described in two words: communion and participation. If we use these words as our guide, our parish will be a more inclusive, less lonely place. Jesus calls us to live in community with him, to receive his body and blood in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus also calls us to be one body, to for a community with our sisters and brothers. In this way we serve one another mutually. In community no one is too rich to receive and no one is too poor to be able to give.
Our Gospel today shows us that even though they had lived with Jesus, hearing him teach day after day, there was still a need for some of the disciples to compete with one another for the best positions of authority. Besides condemning this James’ and John’s attitude, the Lord tells the other apostles that they have no right to judge. History shows that selfish attitudes have caused terrible divisions in society and even in the Church. A true disciple of the Lord will make an effort daily to serve others, to help others to grow as people and as members of the community.
Let’s look a the authority that parents have as an example of good discipleship. With their dedication and love, parents serve their children by helping them to grow in knowledge, age and grace before God and humanity. The authority we hold over others should not be used to dominate or crush, but to help others become the persons that God wants them to be.
All of the gifts that God has given us are not for our own exclusive use. They are to be used to serve others. Saint Paul compares the Christian community to the human body. All of the members - eyes, ears, hands, feet, etc. complement each other to keep the entire body functioning. The same thing happens in our society and in our Church. We need each other. We should dedicate ourselves to serving the parts of the “Body of Christ” that needs the most help.
May God, in this eucharist, cure us of our need to dominate and abuse power and infuse in us a spirit of service.
Sunday 29 (B-2006): The Mission of Baptism
Read: Mark 10:42-45

At first sight, Jesus seems to be contradicting himself in today’s Gospel.
He tells the Twelve not to boss people around, but he does it in a rather bossy manner!
Listen to the way the Gospel describes Jesus: “Jesus summoned the Twelve ... It shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant ... will be the slave of all.”
Perhaps we can put it in familiar OT language: “Thou shalt not boss others around!”
In other words, that we should serve, not dominate, one another is a commandment, a top priority of Jesus.

So there is no contradiction.
Jesus becomes forceful throughout the whole Gospel only when he is dealing with evil, be it actual demons, the stubborn evil of the human heart or indeed, as is the case today, to forewarn his listeners from giving in to evil.
Jesus is warning the Twelve about falling into the sin of domineering power.
Just before this warning, the Twelve are in fact engaged in bickering about which one of them is the greatest. Akin to political campaigning?
So Jesus, in a very formal and solemn way, lays it out very clearly: with me there is a new approach to greatness and to being first.
Greatness consists of service, not authoritarianism.
Being first means being last.
Peter will later show that he has still not understood this when he initially refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet.
Jesus makes it clear to Peter that if anyone refuses to accept him as the servant-leader of humanity, that person can have no share in his life.

To put it more starkly, God is at man’s service.
He wants to wash the stinking feet of each one of us!
Take a few minutes out today, and imagine his doing that for you.
Our natural reaction is to do what Peter did. “No, Lord, you can’t do that! I am not worthy! Let me do it for you!”
It is hard for us to accept that the second Person of the Trinity would lower himself to take care of us.
That’s because we often have the wrong idea of God!
God shows his majesty in his humility, his power in his love.
Therefore, unless we let go and allow him to serve us, that is to love us, we cannot really know Him, nor can we really serve one another.
Leadership in the Church comes from this experience of first being washed by Jesus, the servant-God, and then doing as He did.
Leadership means, therefore, going out towards others in the strength of that transforming experience of being loved by Jesus, and loving them.
This is just another way of talking about mission.
Being washed by Jesus, experiencing his transforming love, is just another way of talking about baptism.
So, baptism leads necessarily to mission.
If baptism means being loved by God, mission means loving as God because God’s love is now in us.
How can you be transformed by the love of Jesus and not want to show it to others by loving them, not want to tell it to others as liberating, joy-filled good news?

But let us be truthful. And I include myself in this.
Baptism can mean, at least sometimes, very little to us, not because of bad will or bad faith, but because the dust and fluff and cobwebs of life cloud our vision and cool our fire.
Other priorities, other values, other motivations take over the dynamism and direction of our hearts and minds.
The things that really matter most to us are defined more by the consumerist culture than by the eternal gifts of Christ.
Parents want the best for their children. That is good.
But what is this best? Is it what money can buy, or what no money can buy?
Married couples want to be happy, get on in life. No one can argue with that.
But what is happiness? What does it mean to “get on”?
Is it really possessions, making a name for yourself in a society that lays little store by personal integrity and applauds arrogance and ruthless competitiveness?
What’s the point of being praised by the vanity of others? Is not their praise also therefore vain, i.e. empty?
What’s the point of having prestige in the face of crooks at the price of honesty in the sight of God?
What use is a fat bank account, when your marriage is bankrupt of quality time and love?
What use is it to sign your child up for every imaginable sport and extra-curricular activity, and fill their wardrobes with clothes and their rooms with toys, when their little hearts are sad and empty because they only see dad sleeping on the sofa on Saturdays, or they only see mom one hour a day?
What’s the use of pushing them to build on the sand of human achievement when you don’t show them and teach them how to pray, how to trust in God, how to build their house on rock of divine truth, fidelity and love?

Baptism is the beginning of a new life, a life marked by the servant love of Jesus, a love which bore our guilt, our profanity and our superficiality and crucified it in death.
Baptism is like a spring of clear, pure running water which wells up more and more until the barrenness and dryness of our human existence is saturated and bears abundant fruit at every level of our being and activity in the world.
That water is the extreme, servant love of Jesus.
Through that love he perfects in us the work he began when he created us. He desires above all to fill our minds with his truth and our hearts and wills with his love.
If our minds are filled with his truth, or at least are open to it, we will see the emptiness of the false priorities the world seeks to impose on us. We will discern the authentic choices to be made and the right way to go.
If our hearts and wills are filled with his love, or at least are open to it, we will make the courageous decisions that forestall the fake joys and counterfeit pleasures around us. We will place the Lord God at the center of our hearts, our homes, our schedules.
We will constantly be asking ourselves, “What does the Lord God, the servant love of Jesus ask of me in this situation?” and not entrust our future to “google” and TV publicity.
What does the Lord God ask of me, what does he want for me? These are the questions which ought to drive every waking hour of the baptized.

There are three naysayers which will try to make you skeptical of what I have been saying.

First, the Devil will seek to convince you that you cannot do this.
He will try to make you think, “This priest is talking over my head. He has no idea what real life is about. He doesn’t have a clue what people have to contend with every day. He knows nothing relevant for me. ....”
But the Devil was, is and ever shall be a Liar!
I know very well the trials of daily life, both of my own and of the many who confide their struggles and pains to me.
And anyway, who among us can fully understand the pain of everyone else, or even of anyone else?
As Pope Paul VI once said, if there is anyone who should be more likely to understand the pain of others, it is the priest. For, in the name and in the person of Christ, his very vocation is to help carry and ease the suffering of Christ’s sheep.
Yet, irrespective of all this, the defining reality of human life is not pain, suffering or problems, but the call, the grace, the truth and the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
While human suffering is real, it is ultimately destined to pass. The “real” reality, then, or the “realest” reality, is not the misery of human wretchedness, but the mercy and majesty of divine grace.

The second naysayer is possibly your own weakness: “I just can’t live the way Jesus demands. I’m too weak.”
But since when was weakness the last word on how to live? Surrender your weakness to Christ! Don’t hold onto it; don’t idolize it; don’t let it fill you with negative propaganda about yourself.
Many people are afraid to let go of their problems because they are afraid of who they might really be behind them!
Thy cling to them in case they no longer recognize who they are without them.
And they defend themselves with dubious pearls of wisdom such as, “well, that’s the way I am.” And, of course, we should read between the lines, “and that’s the way I intend to remain”!
Goodness knows it is surely difficult to extricate yourself from certain habits which seem engrained in the very fabric of your being. The Lord surely understands this!
But the problem lies in accepting the situation without trust or hope in the power of grace and even in the power of your own freedom.
Because the Lord understands your weakness, does not mean that it is what he wants for you or from you.
He came, not to bless our brokenness, but to heal it! He came, not just to visit those enchained by sin and weakness, but to liberate them!

Then there is, in the third place, guilt.
Guilt weighs down.
Of course it weighs you down if you hold onto it!
If you were shipwrecked, you wouldn’t hold on to the anchor to stay afloat!
For the Christian, there is no reason to live with guilt. Jesus bore all our guilt in his body on the Cross.
Baptism removes our sin and our guilt.
“Yes,” I can hear you say, “but that was a long time ago, Father. Life is difficult, complicated ....”
Very well. Whatever happened to the sacrament of confession? It again liberates us from guilt and restores the innocence of baptism.
If you hate your guilt, is it reasonable then to say you hate this sacrament, and not rather to long for it ardently?
Or is the truth that you would rather hold onto your guilt and the sins that go with it?
To hold onto guilt is to ignore, if not deny, the Cross of Christ. To say your guilt is too heavy, too much, too engrained .... is to say that Christ means little or nothing to you.
The Cross does not stand before us as a peculiar work of art. It stands before us so that we might let it gradually stand within us, deep within our hearts and their shades of darkness.
Christ wishes his blood and water to flow from his crucified wounds into our hearts.
He wishes his words of crucified forgiveness to his murderers and to the good thief to be heard echoing within us.
He wishes us to embrace his Mother and ours.
He wishes us to breathe in his dying breath, the Breath of the Spirit, to enliven us, to empower us, to purify us, to restore our dignity, and to enable us again to cry out “Abba, Father!” to his Father and ours.
Another way he washes your feet is to carry your guilt for you, so that you can be free to run in the ways of his truth, his grace and his love!

So let neither the Devil, nor your weakness nor your guilt hold you back.
Stand up to them with Christ’s Cross in your hands, in your head and in your heart, and you will be strong, holy and free.
And the hope of eternity will shine in your eyes, and through your eyes will instill that same hope into those who look to you to experience the everlasting love of the servant Lord.

Msgr. Peter Magee
October 22nd, 2006
Annunciation, DC: 1.00 pm

posted by Mike Young @ 6:10 AM