Sunday, September 21, 2003
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17-20

The godless say to themselves, "Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing.

Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries.

Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words."

2nd Reading: James 3:16-4:3

Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice.

What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your inner longings that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures.

Gospel: Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise."

The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.

Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, "If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

Commentary

"If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all." The disciples were quarrelling among themselves: 'Who is the greatest among them?' For the Pharisees, the greatest are the pure ones who keep the laws to the last letter. For the zealots, the greatest are the revolutionaries who will use whatever means necessary to topple the oppressive Roman regime. For the community of Qumran, the greatest are those who left the decadent world and lived in the religious community following the rules strictly. For Jesus, the answer is service. The greatest of all is the one who is able to serve his fellowman. It is to be other-centered. It is the ability to see the needs of others and respond accordingly. Service presupposes compassion, the ability to be feel the sufferings of others and be moved to act in their behalf.

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