Deacon Tom Anthony

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 134

Reading 1 Wis 2:12, 17-20

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 Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 and 8

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 men 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 2 Jas 3:16—4:3

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 Cf. 2 Thes 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 9:30-37

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,

 Whatever is evil or debased in this world did not originate from God. All the suffering, pain, and torment originated from the actions and thoughts of man. The universe was created in a state of perfection, out of pure love, and was only deformed through our free will exercised for selfish means. Creation once mirrored the Creator until it was smudged and stained by us. God is indeed perfect. Everything He does and says is also perfect. We are in a state of imperfection which affects everything that we come into contact with; including our relationship with God. An understanding of this state of being can mark a beginning of change in our status regarding who and what we are in relation to God. The closer we get the God, the more we will be repaired and the less broken we will become.

Misery loves company. Sinners constantly invite others to sin with them so as to justify themselves and to feel comfortable that they are not the only ones partaking in what will ultimately lead to self-destruction. It is through this community of degradation that much harm can be done to oneself and so many others. The relations that are fostered become rooted in evil thoughts and desires clothed in excuses that each offer the other as comfort even though each person knows that what they are doing is wrong. What is known to be unacceptable then becomes acceptable to those involved by this process. From there, the most heinous things can be done without much guilt or forethought. Wars, violence, and suffering are only some of the negative things that can result.

Patterns of wicked behavior are present throughout the threads of society and are presented as acceptable. This is a great victory for Satan who festers like an infection below a surface that might appear to be clean and harmless. We are challenged each day with decisions and thoughts that we think are going to lead us in a positive direction but end up having disastrous consequences not only for ourselves but other people who either follow us or have some sort of relationship with us. It is only by becoming closer to God and being open to receiving the wisdom He offers that we will be able to discern these situations rightly. No counsel offered by anyone can compare to the perfect counsel that God offers to us through a healthy relationship with Him.

We must become child-like in our relationship with God; forgetting all that we thought we knew beforehand and all of the prejudices that came with it. If we approach God with an open, loving soul, heart, and mind with no preconditions then we will be able to become receptors to His grace; all that was resisting and standing in the way of Him will be gone. Taking what we experience from this act, we can then receive all others in much the same way: with love and innocence. That is the Christian Way and the expectations of Jesus Christ. The more we engage God and others in this manner, the more we can come to the understanding of what God wants for us instead of what others are telling us that may mislead us away from Him.

There are really two ways to love our life: with God or without God. To be with God means that we will experience the complete love of the one who created us. Without God means that we will be living a life that is influenced by those who do not have our best interests in mind and by our free will which has failed us constantly. In our brokenness, we have relied on ourselves and others who are just as broken as we are. We already know where this leads. Doesn’t it make sense to try a different way?

Deacon Tom