Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 349
Reading 1
1 Peter 1:18-25
Beloved:
Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious Blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished Lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
Since you have purified yourselves
by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love,
love one another intensely from a pure heart.
You have been born anew,
not from perishable but from imperishable seed,
through the living and abiding word of God, for:
"All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the field;
the grass withers,
and the flower wilts;
but the word of the Lord remains forever."
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20
R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
Mark 10:45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 10:32-45
The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
"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 who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise."
Then James 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 chalice 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 chalice 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."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Greatness in Holy Servitude
Then James 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.” Mark 10:35–37
James and John were feeling quite bold. Their boldness may have come, in part, from the fact that they had become very familiar with the goodness of Jesus. He was unlike any other, and His genuineness was very evident to them. Therefore, they allowed themselves to slip into the trap of taking Jesus’ goodness for granted by seeking a selfish favor from our Lord. Jesus’ response is gentle and thoughtful, and, in the end, James and John are somewhat humbled by their attempt to obtain this selfish favor when the other disciples become “indignant” at their request.
Jesus summarizes His response to these disciples this way: “…whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Jesus, of course, was especially speaking about Himself. He was the greatest and the first among them. And for that reason, Jesus humbled Himself as their servant and the “slave of all.” Normally, the idea of being a slave has very negative connotations. Slavery is an abuse of the dignity of another. It’s a way of discarding the dignity of the person. But, nonetheless, Jesus says that the ideal way to be truly great is to become a slave of all.
When literal slavery is imposed upon another, this is a grave abuse. But there is another form of holy slavery of which Jesus is speaking. For Jesus, a holy slavery is one in which we give ourselves to another in a sacrificial way out of love. And this is what Jesus did to perfection. His death on the Cross was a true physical death. It was a sacrifice of His earthly life, but it was done freely and for the purpose of setting others free. In referring to Himself, Jesus explains His holy “slavery” when He says, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus’ greatness is first found in the simple fact that He is God. But His greatness is made most manifest in His human nature when He gives His life “as a ransom for many.” It is the Cross that becomes the greatest act of loving service ever known. The fruit of His selfless sacrifice is the salvation of all who turn to Him. Thus, Jesus turns slavery and death into the greatest act of love ever known.
Reflect, today, upon your own calling to live a life of holy slavery. How is God calling you to sacrificially give yourself to others out of love? From a purely human point of view, the idea of sacrifice, servitude and even holy slavery is hard to comprehend. But when we use Jesus as the model, it becomes much clearer. Look for ways in which you can give yourself to others selflessly and know that the more you can imitate our Lord in this holy endeavor, the greater your life will be.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
IS YOUR LOVE GENUINE?
“By obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a genuine love.” —1 Peter 1:22
Is your love for your spouse, parents, or children genuine? Almost everyone would automatically answer “Yes.” Do you believe that your family members and friends genuinely love you? Early in their lives, most people automatically answer “Yes.”
Over the years, however, we usually are forced to conclude that some people’s “love” for us was not genuine. This makes us wonder if we will be sadly disappointed in other people's “love” for us. At some point in our lives, we suspect that even we ourselves have not been totally genuine in our love. Others are surprised that we haven’t noticed it earlier.
Why not find out about “genuine love” now? Has your love been preceded by being purified through obedience to the truth? (1 Pt 1:22) If not, it may not be genuine. Is your love based on faith, virtue, discernment, self-control, perseverance, piety, and care for your brothers and sisters? (2 Pt 1:5-7) If not, your love may not be genuine.
Genuine love is humanly impossible, always accessible by God’s grace, and the culminating grace of a great series of graces. Love genuinely.
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit of love to teach me to love (see Rm 5:5).
Promise: “Realize that you were delivered from the futile way of life your fathers handed on to you, not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold, but by Christ’s blood beyond all price.” —1 Pt 1:18-19
Praise: Pope St. Paul VI became the first pope to travel to other continents, making papal visits to Asia, Africa, and North and South America.
Reflection 3
By Fr. René PARADA Menéndez
(San Salvador, El Salvador)
“For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”
Today, the Lord teaches us which our attitude before the Cross must be. The ardent love of Jesus for His Father's Will, to carry out the salvation of Mankind, of each man, of each woman, urges Him to quickly move towards Jerusalem, “the Son of Man will be handed over… they will condemn him to death… scourge him, and put him to death” (Mk 10:33-34). Though, at times, we may not understand it or may be afraid of pain and suffering or of every day's contradictions, let us try to lovingly join God's salvific Will with the offering of our daily Cross.
Assiduous prayer and the Sacraments, especially the personal Confession of our sins and the Eucharist, will increase our love for God and our love for others, in such a way that we shall be able to affirm that “We can” (Mk 10:39), in spite of our misery, fears and sins. Yes, we shall be able to take up our daily Cross and follow Him (cf. Lk 9:23) for love, with a smile; that cross that is evidenced by our ordinary everyday life: tiredness in our job, family difficulties, social relations, etc.
Only if we embrace our cross every day, denying us to serve others, shall we be able to identify ourselves with the Christ, who came “to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45). Saint John Paul II explained in this way: “Jesus' service attains its fullest expression in his death on the cross, that is, in his total gift of self in humility and love.” Let us, therefore, imitate Jesus Christ, by constantly transforming our love for Him in servicing actions for other people: wealthy or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old, without distinction. Servicing actions to get them closer to God and free them from sin.
Prayers
Lord of all holiness, Your greatness was made manifest in Your human nature by Your act of perfect servitude when You freely chose to die for the sins of those who turn to You for redemption. You humbled Yourself, taking on the form of a slave, so that all could be set free. Help me to always trust in Your great love and to continually open myself to the gift of redemption You offer. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom. Make me a servant of your love, that I may seek to serve rather than be served, and share in your victory over sin, suffering, and death.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 149: Interior Inspirations
There are countless opportunities all around us to share the Mercy of God with those in need. But it is all too easy to miss these opportunities to do so. One primary way that we allow ourselves to become instruments of Divine Mercy is by seeking to continually be attentive to the many interior inspirations sent to us by the Holy Spirit. It’s not so much a matter of looking for these opportunities ourselves; rather, it’s a matter of becoming so aware of the workings of God, that we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us here and there, leading us to the many opportunities to act as an instrument of the Mercy of God (See Diary #756).
Are you attentive to the interior inspirations sent to you by the Holy Spirit? These inspirations are often subtle and quite gentle. But if you can learn to discern them, God will use you for an abundance of good works. Reflect, today, upon your habit of seeking out His voice. Allow yourself to become drawn to His gentle promptings and to respond with a generous heart.
Lord, I turn to You and seek Your gentle but clear voice. As I hear You speak, give me the strength to follow Your commands so as to embrace Your holy Will and to become an instrument of Your Divine Mercy in our world. Jesus, I trust in You.
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