First Reading Wisdom 2:12,17-20
The just one is put to the test.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 54:3-4,5,6 & 8
A prayer for God’s protection.
Second Reading James 3:16—4:3
James teaches about the wisdom from above.
Gospel Reading
Mark 9:30-37
Jesus teaches his disciples that the greatest are those who serve all.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus again predict his passion, death, and Resurrection to his disciples. The setting here is important. Jesus and his disciples are preparing to journey through Galilee, a Jewish territory in which Jesus has already encountered problems with the Pharisees. Perhaps this is why Mark indicates that Jesus was trying to journey in secret. In predicting his passion, Jesus is acknowledging the danger they will face and is trying to preparing his disciples for it. Yet Mark tells us that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask what he meant. Such hesitation on the part of the disciples is not characteristic behavior. Peter had no fear about rebuking Jesus in last week’s Gospel. Perhaps this is an indication that the disciples were aware that a new situation was emerging.
Mark paints a vivid picture in today’s Gospel. Having arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples enter a house. In this private place, Jesus asks his disciples about the argument they had while they were journeying. Again, the disciples are uncharacteristically silent and afraid to answer. They have been found out. Jesus then summons the Twelve, whom Mark identified earlier in his Gospel as those chosen by Jesus to preach and to drive out demons. To this select group of disciples, Jesus teaches that those who would be first in God’s kingdom must be servants of all.
Jesus then calls forward a child and teaches the Twelve that to receive a child in Jesus’ name is to receive both Jesus and the One who sent him. We might easily fail to understand the significance of this action. In first-century Palestine, children were without status or power, possessing no legal rights. In this action, Jesus is teaching his disciples and us that when we serve the least ones among us, we serve Jesus himself. Who are the people without power or status in our society that Jesus is calling us to serve? Do we do so willingly? Jesus teaches that God’s judgment of us will be based on this criterion alone.
December 2 - First Sunday of Advent Year C
November 25 - Feast of Christ the King: His kingdom come!
November 18 - Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Life is short
November 11 - Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: To give thankfully
November 4 - Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time: What are your Priorities?
October 28 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: leaving behind the cloak in order to come closer to Christ
October 21 - Twenty Ninth Sunday in the Ordinary Time: Power
October 14 - Twenty Eighty Sunday in Ordinary Time: Riches
October 7 – Twenty seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Marriage and Divorce
September 30 – Twenty Sixth Sunday in ordinary Time: acknowledge the good others do
September 23 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Becoming the first to serve
September 16 - Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Where Sorrow is there is holy ground
September 9 - Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: The gift of receiving and the gift of transmitting
September 02 - Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time: Why we do? What we do??
August 26 - Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time : Do you want to quit?
August 19 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: To Become What We Receive
August 12 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Eucharist – A Foretaste of Heaven
August 5 - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Food that lasts for ever
July 29 - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: To place in the hands of Jesus
July 22 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Work and Prayer
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