Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 134
Reading I
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our
training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his
foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the
test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will
take care of him.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (6b) The
Lord upholds my life.
O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
For the haughty have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
R. The Lord upholds my life.
Reading II
Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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.
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.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Saint Augustine tells us that, “God chastises every son whom he acknowledges. But the bad shepherd says: “Perhaps I will be exempt.” If he is exempt from the suffering of his chastisements, then he is not numbered among God’s sons. You will say: “Does God indeed punish every son?” Yes, every one, just as he chastised his only Son. This enforces the understanding that as Christians, we are meant to suffer in this world because we are not of this world, but have been claimed by Christ. This suffering can come from difference origins. It can come from God so as to strengthen us and bring us closer to Him or it can come from those within society that seek to do us harm. There are people who hate us because we are Christians. There are people who will wish to do us harm because we are united with Jesus Christ and are against those who align themselves with earthly desires instead of heavenly things. This is nothing new. We should expect these sufferings and should expect that our lives will not be easy.
The Book of Wisdom emphasizes this point. The reading from it today delves into the thoughts and motivations of those who align themselves with the world. There is animosity towards us because, as Saint Paul tells us, the flesh and the spirit are incompatible. When someone sins, it is not because he or she doesn’t know better. The definition of sin exposes that truth. Sin is defined as a conscious act against. When a sin is committed, the sinner knows he or she is doing wrong, knows the consequences, and does it anyway. Those who are sorrowful because of their sin seek forgiveness and repentance while those who do not become angry when confronted or exposed. Those who choose anger also show malevolence towards those who do not support their wrongdoings because they know what they are doing is wrong. Instead of changing their ways they feel the need to defeat those who know or are doing better until their way is the only way that remains. Knowingly or unknowingly, they have aligned themselves with Satan and are standing against God.
Within the statement, “Let us put the just one to the test,” is an expectation of failure when tested We are the just ones and are aligned with God. The expectation of failure that those who are against us have is a way of convincing themselves that their way is better. They know it is not and this knowledge angers them. This encourages them to try even harder to hurt us, causing them to be more frustrated as a result. The only solace they have is achieved by surrounding themselves with like-minded people who will reenforce their beliefs regardless how illogical and wrong they are. A sinner seeks companionship with another sinner so they can find validation in what they are doing instead of confronting their shortcomings. It is easier to keep doing wrong then to admit faults followed by a commitment to change. God wants us to take the harder route in order to overcome our brokenness; to achieve a higher state of being that brings us closer to Him and ultimately to perfection. There is more to this world than what we see in front of us. It is through living a Christian life that this fact can be discovered. God is just waiting to reveal this to us. Part of that revelation process is through the persecution that we are to undergo by these individuals mentioned.
For our part we must show constant vigilance in the face of massive opposition. Society does things a particular way and we do them differently. We do things God’s way which is just not acceptable to those who reject God. The wisdom of God is perfect. When it is followed that which is negative will naturally fade away along with everything else that is rooted in the material. If we are confident in God, then we become confident in ourselves. Being in the positive, that which comes from God, makes us positive and evil takes flight. This does take work on our part, thus there is the presence of constant persecution as evil tries to slither its way back in. In The Book of the Prophet Isaiah, God says, “Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have stationed watchmen.” We are the watchmen and are keepers of the faith. We watch over ourselves and our fellow Christians to ensure that we are safe. Keeping us safe and free from all evil makes it possible to realize The Kingdom of God. Every moment that we fulfill our duties to God means that we grow stronger and more aware of His presence. This enables us to live a better life and enter The God experience which is The Kingdom of God.
At least twice in The Gospel of Mark Jesus compares us to children. The innocence, love, and trust that each child manifests are how we are to approach God. The dirt of the world and the stink of sin must be washed off while that which does not come from God needs to be refused. All that is negative comes from us and does not have its origin from Him in any way. We truly must get back to our roots and act like children: innocent, trusting, and loving with no evil intent; no evil desire. Accepting those who are trying to do that are to be embraced and encouraged. Treating our fellow brothers and sisters the way we treat a child, with that same tenderness and love, brings us into the Realm of the Spirit and in close contact with God. To those who do not act accordingly are still treated that way as an example for them to follow but with caution, for we may fall victim to malfeasance. Love all and treat all accordingly. Being like a children does expose us to many dangers and many tests but that is the way to achieve what God wants us to achieve.
Even Jesus’ disciples bickered amongst themselves and were victim of worldly thoughts and actions. We are all works in progress. Each interaction and situation will bring about fresh challenges. They will also bring forth opportunities. Success and failure can both be used as advantages in these circumstances. Success brings about validation. Failure brings about an understanding of where we need to improve ourselves. We should be open for instruction and correction to make ourselves better. The alternative is to keep getting angry; self-justifying our actions while not getting any better. God wants us to learn from our mistakes and be the best we can be. With His guidance we can achieve this.
Deacon Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment