29th Sunday in Ordinary time
Readings:
Isaiah 53, 10 –11
Hebrew. 4:14 –16
Mark 10: 35 – 45
Reflection:
The Way of the Son of Man
When we look around us, we see how young people are urged to aim high. “Be the best! Better than all the rest!”
“You can achieve wonderful things. Use your gifts to show people who you are! “ And so on. And we often see people, especially in politics, and in business too, tripping over each other to get to the top in their field. How they get there might not be a pretty picture, but many people feel even a little jealous for the man or woman who achieves the top rung.
Jesus shows us in the Gospel today – that God has a plan for each of us. Yes, ambition too has a role in that plan.
The two brothers, James and John came to Jesus: “Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory!”
Jesus replies: “You do not know what you are asking !”
Jesus has to show them by his words, but most of all by his own painful suffering and death, where their faith and beliefs will be shaken to the core, that he has come not to be served, but to serve and to die in order to give Life to the world.
Paul of the Cross was a wonderful leader chosen by God to show us anew the Contradiction in the Passion. “By his wounds we are healed.”
We too are called to follow a Servant Lord, to share his Sufferings and humiliation, so that we can with Jesus bring a new Humanity to birth in Christ.
Let us continue to glory in the Cross, sharing his sufferings – being misunderstood too – so that God can bring to birth a great many to share the Love and Mercy of God. And to do that we need help –
“Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” (Ps.33:22)
Pat McIndoe CP, a Passionist at St. Joseph, Port Moresby, PNG.