Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 146
Reading I
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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 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."
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. He was handed over as an offering for of our sins so that we may receive eternal life. It is through Him that our sins are forgiven and that we can receive redemption by accepting what He has to offer. Through His selfless act we are given a vision of how our lives should be led: Through the example of Jesus Christ. We are all offered a cup that Jesus accepted. This is a cup of persecution and suffering. It binds us together as Brothers and Sisters through Jesus Christ. To suffer is what it is means to be a Christian. The more we suffer the more we will be able to encounter Jesus Christ because he is with us in our suffering, being present to ease our pain. With Jesus there is constant joy whether we are experiencing good times or bad time. We will always get through things only to encounter other things. Good or bad doesn’t matter. Jesus is the constant. If He is recognized all of it becomes the same.
There is no reward in suffering. There is no reward in the good acts that we do as a reaction to Jesus’ presence. There is no trophy for doing the right thing. What we do get is an experience of how life should be and a glimpse of The Beatific Vision of God. Things tend to fall into place when Jesus is added to the equation. It doesn’t matter what we want, only that Jesus is there to walk with us as we face what we face. In society there are expectations of reward for hard work and a job well done. This is part of the system that has been employed in the world of man and has slowly drawn us away from God. We put in a hard day’s work and we get paid for our labor. We do a favor for a friend then we are owed something in return. If we are aggrieved, then someone owes us something for our pain and suffering. If we do good, then we get recognized. “Not so!” says Jesus. We need to accept what is given to us freely with no demands, be it good or bad. We need to give everything when asked with an expectation of nothing in return. This puts us above all that this life can offer and lifts us up into a beautiful spiritual experience. We can shed the shackles of this earth and enter into a deep relationship with God, uninhibited by the material wealth that surrounds us.
Jesus Christ reminded us in the Gospel Reading last week to, “Store up treasure in heaven.” This requires a focus on the eternal and what that will bring us when we embrace suffering as well as joy with the same attitude. Nothing will be able to phase us if we keep that in the forefront of our thoughts. James and John had a problem understanding this. Their greatest asset, passion and vigor, was also their greatest impediment to understanding what Jesus was trying to say. They felt that their work needed to be recognized in this life and the next. There was a need for reward. Their sacrifices were romanticized and with that came a wanting to be elevated to a status above all others. Jesus responded by telling them to be lowly and humble. It was the way to fully experience God: no reward and no glory. Glory is reserved for God alone. What we say and do on this earth is nothing more than what we are expected to do in reaction to our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we find ourselves struggling with this, it is because earthly desires are creeping in and our relationship with Jesus has been compromised by earthly desires.
Just as Jesus came to serve and not be served, we are expected to do the same thing. Christianity is the only place where being a slave is a desired position. Giving ourselves to the service of others is an expectation with the returns so much more even if they cannot be realized in the material sense. When you take out the material there is an opportunity for love to flow in. It is in that love that the presence of God is realized. Each moment becomes unique and wonderful. Just as in the life of a slave, things might not be as we want it some of the time. This should be understood and expected. We might become frustrated and overwhelmed because of it, but God can relieve these negatives emotions if we ask Him to so that we might continue to do the work that is expected of us. With Him the negative can be forced out and only the positive will remain. It is through Him that even the most imperfect situation can become perfect.
None of us are unique or special. Jesus can relate to any problem or situation that we can encounter. He has already been there and done that. This enables us to have the opportunity to know Him better through our experiences. We will be able to feel His presence and understand that we will be okay if we stay with Him. He will be along for the ride and will take the wheel when necessary if we permit Him to do so. We must truly let go and let God. It may be difficult in the beginning to live a life of service and suffering but when we start to feel the changes in ourselves as a result and feel the presence of Jesus in everything that we do, it will become inevitable that we will realize that it is worth it.
Deacon Tom
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