Tag Archives: faith

Lent Day 29: Hear, believe, and live

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 5:17-30) picks up where yesterday’s left off. Jesus reveals much about Himself and His Father, much to the chagrin of the Pharisees:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word
and believes in the one who sent me
has eternal life and will not come to condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.” (v. 24)

“The Father has placed judging and giving life in the hands of his Son, and now Jesus speaks about his carrying out these divine prerogatives. He again prefaces his words with a solemn ‘Amen, amen, I say to you,’ assuring his listeners (and readers of John’s Gospel) of the importance of what he is saying. He proclaims that ‘whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life.’ The ‘word’ of Jesus is the word of God: ‘the one whom God sent speaks the words of God” (3:34; see also 12:49-50; 14:24; 17:8). When Jesus says ‘hears my word,’ he uses ‘hears’ in its biblical sense of accepting and heeding (see Deut 6:4). We might have expected Jesus to say ‘Whoever hears my word and believes me,’ but he says whoever hears my word ‘and believes in the one who sent me’ — literally, ‘believes the one who sent me.’ Since Jesus speaks the word of God, to accept his word is to believe God (see 12:44).

“Jesus proclaims that whoever hears his word and believes the one who sent him ‘has eternal life.’ ‘Now this is eternal life, that they should know you , the only true God, and the one whom he sent, Jesus Christ’ (17:3). To know God is to experientially know him as Jesus reveals him; accepting his revelation brings union with God and ‘eternal life.’ The one who believes ‘has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.’ For those drawn into union with God through Jesus, ‘eternal life’ begins now, even if its fullness lies in the future (see 6:54). Come to condemnation means being left in the perishable state of humanity, destined for death (see 3:16-18). Whoever receives eternal life ‘has passed from death to life’ — literally, ‘has been transferred out of death to life.’ These united with God through Jesus have been taken from the realm of death into the realm of eternal life. Even if they die physically , they live eternally (see 11:25-26).” (Bringing the Gospel of John to Life, 136-37)

I chose the particular passage I did because I love it when Jesus is very clear what we mortals are called to believe and live out. Martin, in the extended excerpt above, says, ‘When Jesus says ‘hears my word,’ he uses ‘hears’ in its biblical sense of accepting and heeding.’

Yes, we are to hear the Word of God. But more importantly, we must internalize it and live it

Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees (1850) by James Tissot

God bless.

Lent Day 28: Suffering is not the worst

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 5:1-16) picks up where yesterday’s left off. Jesus heals a man ill for thirty-eight years…on the sabbath. Jesus last words to the man:

“Look, you are well; do not sin any more,
so that nothing worse may happen to you.” (v. 14)

“Jesus’ remark here can mean that sin causes something worse to a person than physical illness: spiritual illness that can be eternally fatal.” (The Gospel of John [Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture], 100)

“The Bible reveals a link between sin and suffering, with the former being the cause of the latter (Ps 107:17). This general truth, however, does not extend to every individual case (9:3).” (The Gospel of John [The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible], 27

“The man may have come to the temple to thank God for his cure. Jesus goes over and reminds him that the health of the soul is more important physical health.

“Our Lord uses holy fear of God as motivation in the struggle against sin: ‘Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you’. This holy fear is born out of respect for God our Father; it is perfectly compatible with love. Just as children love and respect their parents and try to avoid annoying them partly because they are afraid of being punished, so we should fight against sin firstly because it is an offence against God, but also because we can be punished in this life and, above all, in the next.” (The Navarre Bible: St John, 89)

“This statement accomplishes three things. First, it teaches than bodily sickness is an image of sin in the soul. Second, it teaches that it is much more important to avoid sin than avoid sickness. Third, it tells us to look at the healing as a parable: the sick people lying under the porticoes stand for sinners; getting into the baths stands for baptism; getting cured from sickness stands for having sins washed away; the question of whether the man wanted to be cured stands for the question of whether we really want to be free from our sins. If the man had grasped all three of these things, he would have wanted to become a follower of Christ and asked to be baptized.” (Mary’s Voice in the Gospel According to John, 61-62)

Suffering is an interesting thing (maybe not so much so when one is in the midst of terrible pain, but…). Suffering may come out of the blue through no fault of our own. Suffering may come due to bad habits, carelessness, or recklessness. Suffering may come due to our sinful behavior. But, as terrible as it is to suffer, nobody deals with it better than the Catholic Church. The possibility of suffering being redemptive, no matter the reason it comes our way, has had the faithful endure the most horrible physical and mental torments that they united with Christ’s Passion for the forgiveness of sins and the redemption of souls. After all, Jesus said:

In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world. (Jn 16:33)

The Greek for “trouble” (θλίψιν) has also been translated as “tribulation,” “affliction,” and “distress.” If the servant is no better than his Master, and God Himself suffered the pain and humiliation of the cross, do we sinful persons dare to think we should get off scot-free?

So, let no suffering go to waste. The Lord can use it to heal our souls and those of many others. Consider the greeting we will get in heaven from those who we helped by and through sufferings we laid at the foot of the Cross while on this mortal coil.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Note the last commentary I cite is the first time I’ve used it here. Michael Pakaluk’s Mary’s Voice in the Gospel According to John is an outstanding book that I can heartily recommend. He also has a commentary on Mark. Hopefully he will get to the other Gospels, as well. Clearly a man who loves the Lord and His word and has imbibed deeply of it.

God bless.

Lent Day 27: Homecoming

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 4:43-54) has us jumping to the next chapter in John. Here Jesus returns to Galilee with quite a reputation earned in Jerusalem:

Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his native place. (v. 44)

“The Gospel author makes a comment, and while its meaning is clear, the reason the author makes the comment is not immediately evident. It was proverbial in the ancient world that a prophet or other significant person ‘has no honor in his native place.’ Familiarity can breed disrespect, even contempt. In the other Gospels, Jesus makes this observation after he experiences rejection in Nazareth (Matt 13:54-57; Mark 6:1-4; Luke 4: 16-30). John’s Gospel, however, does not present the occasion on which Jesus made the observation; it only recounts what he at some point said, citing it as an explanation for why he went to Galilee (verse 43). As such, it is a puzzling explanation, for Jesus will be welcomed by Galileans upon his arrival (verse 45). Scholars suggest various explanations for the comment. One suggestion is that Jesus suspended his highly popular ministry in Judea (3:26) and went to Galilee in order to avoid confrontations with religious authorities (4:1-3), expecting to receive less attention in Galilee since ‘a prophet has no honor in his native place.’ In this interpretation, Jesus wished to keep a relatively lower profile for a while.” (Bringing the Gospel of John to Life, 114-15)

The last explanation above makes a lot of sense. “Hometown boy makes good” is acknowledged at first, but it likely won’t be long when Jesus becomes rather uninteresting, and folks are reminded that this is the same nondescript child of nondescript parents they had known for decades. Also, maybe they think he has become “too big for his britches” and they’ll knock Him down a peg or two. And we shouldn’t discount envy as a motivating factor either — who is this young ‘so-and-so’ to gain all these accolades while the rest of us live and toil in an obscure backwater with no hope for fame?

So, don’t feel too bad if at times it seems like the respect you get is only at the workplace or public gatherings while at home you are ignored, trampled on, and taken advantage of. Jesus has no pride, so this wasn’t an issue for Him. But humility, he has in spades. Just remember he knows through first-hand experience what it means to be humble (starting with the Incarnation). For our part, getting knocked down a few notches can be good for the soul.

Vocation of the Apostles (1481) by Domenico Ghirlandaio

God bless.

Lent Day 26: John 3:16

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 3:14-21) has a listen to the nocturnal encounter between Jesus and an interested Pharisee, Nicodemus. It yields one of the most referred to and quoted lines in all of Scripture:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.” (v. 16)

gave his only-begotten Son: The earthly mission of Jesus is part of the heavenly plan of the Father, who displays the depth of his love through the sacrifice of his Son (Rom 5:8; 1 Jn 3:16; CCC 219). This verse marks a transition from the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1–15) to an extended monologue by either Jesus or the evangelist himself (3:16–21). eternal life: The expression refers both to the divine quality of new life in Christ as well as its duration. We receive this gift already on earth in the hope that we will possess it irrevocably in heaven (10:10; 1 Jn 5:13). (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of John, 23)

“God’s love for Israel is compared to a father’s love for his son. His love for his people is stronger than a mother’s for her children. God loves his people more than a bridegroom his beloved; his love will be victorious over even the worst infidelities and will extend to his most precious gift: ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.'” (CCC 219)

God loves the world. That’s something, isn’t it? We are reminded of Genesis 1 in which God finds all He created good and, culminating with humans, very good. Objectively, there is nothing wrong with the world — God don’t make junk, as used to be a popular saying. It’s humans who caused it to fall, but it is God, through His Son, who redeems it, and who promised a “new heavens and a new earth” at the end of time.

So, believe! And not the easy-believism that says, “I’ve accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior” so now I can do what I want. It means to know Jesus and what He commanded and strive to follow it perfectly. Jesus gives far too many warnings about straying from the narrow path to think any differently.

BP BARRON’S SUNDAY SERMON

God bless.

Lent Day 25: ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Lk 18:9-14) gives us the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Jesus is making few friends with the former group but is giving hope to the latter. The words of the tax collector in prayer are extolled by Jesus:

“‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’” (v. 13b)

“[The tax collector] asked God to ‘be merciful’ (hilaskomai) to him. This verb…occurs only once elsewhere in the New Testament, where it means to ‘expiate’ or make atonement for sin (Heb 2:17). Such ‘sacrificial overtones’ fit the parable’s temple setting, all the more so if the prayer occurs at the time of the daily sacrifice.” (The Gospel of Luke [Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture], 304)

“‘Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.’ But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or ‘out of the depths’ of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that ‘we do not know how to pray as we ought,’ are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. ‘Man is a beggar before God.'” (CCC 2559)

“With bold confidence, we began praying to our Father. In begging him that his name be hallowed, we were in fact asking him that we ourselves might be always made more holy. But though we are clothed with the baptismal garment, we do not cease to sin, to turn away from God. Now, in this new petition, we return to him like the prodigal son and, like the tax collector, recognize that we are sinners before him. Our petition begins with a ‘confession’ of our wretchedness and his mercy. Our hope is firm because, in his Son, ‘we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.’ We find the efficacious and undoubted sign of his forgiveness in the sacraments of his Church.” (CCC 2839)

Humility is the gem-casket of all virtues. We are to put the onus on ourselves for our sins, faults, and shortcomings. It is easy to blame others for paving the way toward our own indiscretions, but keeping it simple is the way to go. Acknowledge we’re sinners and beg for the Almighty’s mercy. We know better and yet we fall so many times.

“What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I concur that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if [I] do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” (Rom 7:15-20)

Paul has the right attitude. While a sinner like all of us, he recognizes sin, its source, and its detrimental effects. Half the battle is acknowledging the wrongdoing we do; then resolve to overcome it (with God’s grace of course). I’m reminded of the AA 12-step program: admit our powerlessness and humbly ask God for help.

It seems to me that the words of the publican are worth incorporating into our daily prayer time. Let’s resolve to do so.

THE LITANY OF REPARATION IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

A beautiful prayer that acknowledges sins against the Eucharist and our sorrow for these outrages with a desire to make amends. Thanks to Dr. John Bergsma for sharing this in today’s Exodus & Exile episode.

God bless.

Lent Day 24: Questions?

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Mk 12:28-34) has Jesus being questioned by a scribe about what His opinion is of the greatest commandment and the scribe’s affirming response. The episode closes this way:

“Jesus said to him,
‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God.’
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (v. 34)

“Jesus was God’s agent in establishing the reign of God on earth. After announcing that the kingdom of God was at hand (1:15), Jesus began to call men and women to be his disciples (1:16-20). Those who became the new family of Jesus (3:34-35) were coming into the reign of God. This scribe was ‘not far from the kingdom of God’: he is not a disciple of Jesus, but he grasps what is at the heart of living under the reign of God. Jesus’ new family is made up of those who do the will of God (3:35); this scribe understands what God expects.

“Jesus has been challenged and questioned by various parties but he has met the challenges and answered the questions (11:27-12:31). His opponents have been reduced to silence but have hardly been eliminated as opponents.” (Bringing the Gospel of Mark to Life, 328-29)

The scribe does not actually realized how close to the Kingdom of God He is. Jesus embodies the Kingdom by bringing heaven to earth in the incarnation. Don’t forget Jesus’ first words of His public ministry:

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mk 1:15)

Judgment comes upon the world and God judges it redeemable, but at what a cost! His own beloved Son. Yet, just before He died, anticipating the awful fate in store for Him in just a few hours, Jesus invited us to share in the Kingdom through the Eucharist instituted at the Last Supper. The Mass as Heaven on Earth, indeed. And we have the privilege in taking part in it every day if we are able.

As for the scribe who inquired, it seems to me that He was an honest seeker, based on a not unusual question from a rabbi or for a rabbi and an irenic and affirmative response. So why did no one “dare” to ask any more questions? It is true that prior to this episode, in the same chapter as well as earlier, the religious leaders’ attempt to trap Jesus using His own word fell flat, thus the growing vengeance that would soon consume them. Futility maybe caused abandonment of questioning by His enemies in favor of a more permanent solution to the Jesus Problem. But for the honest seeker, it seems Jesus would always be open to dialogue. Maybe Jesus was a bit intimidating here — not in demeanor but in His profundity and decisiveness (see Mt 7:28-29). A bit mysterious to me.

God bless.

Lent Day 23: For or Against?

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Lk 11:14-23) has Jesus being calumniated even when exorcising demons. He concludes with this:

“Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (v. 23)

“[E]ven if people do not want to recognize it, Jesus Christ has conquered and from now on no one can adopt an attitude of neutrality towards him: he who is not with him is against him.” (The Navarre Bible: St Luke, 147)

“There is no safe neutral corner in the front line of a war…Whoever is not with Jesus in his battle against Satan is by default against him…In the context of the clash between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan each person must side with the one or the other: there are ultimately no other kingdoms…Ultimately one is either gathered to Jesus and brought into the kingdom of God, or cast out and scattered (see 13:28).” (Bringing the Gospel of Luke to Life, 322)

The time for fence sitting is over. In reality, there never has been a time for it. But now, the Lord needs to know where we stand. Will we defend Him, or shirk away? Are we going along to get along or are we counter-culture (of death)? Are we the disciples before Pentecost hiding away in anxiety and fear or are we compelled by tongues of fire to speak out fearlessly whatever may come?

I am reminded of the Book of Revelation’s admonition to a particular church that really is a message to all of us:

“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot.* I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth…Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev. 3:15-16, 22)

It is a striking image painted for John here in this vision. I certainly don’t want to make the Lord sick to His stomach, do you? Let us be bold and fervent in the Faith we profess, not counting the cost here on earth but building up treasure in heaven (see Mt 6:19-21).

God bless.

Lent Day 22: Old and New

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Mt 5:17-19) coming almost immediately after Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes, has Him teaching about the Law:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (17-19)

(vv. 21-22)

“In this passage Jesus stresses the perennial value of the Old Testament. It is the word of God; because it has a divine authority it deserves total respect. The Old Law enjoined precepts of a moral, legal and liturgical type. Its moral precepts still hold good in the New Testament because they are for the most part specific divine-positive promulgations of the natural law. However, our Lord gives them greater weight and meaning. But the legal an d liturgical precepts of the Old Law were laid down by God for a specific stage in salvation history, that is, up to the coming of Christ; Christians are not obliged to observe them (cf. Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 108, a. 3 ad 3).

“The law promulgated through Moses and explained by the prophets was God’s gift to his people, a kind of anticipation of the definitive Law which the Christ or Messiah would lay down. Thus as the Council of Trent defined, Jesus not only ‘was given to men as a redeemer in whom they are to trust, but also as a lawgiver whom they are to obey’ (De iustificatione, can. 21).” (The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, 61)

“Jesus completely fulfilled the Mosaic Law and OT prophecies (1:23; 2:6, 15; 4:15–16; Lk 24:44–47). The Greek word translated fulfil means ‘to make complete’. The New Covenant thus includes and concludes the Old Covenant; it both perfects it and transforms it. While sacrificial laws of the OT expired with the sacrifice of Jesus, the moral Law (Ten Commandments, etc.) was retained and refined (5:21, 27, 43; 19:17). In the Christian life, the power of God’s Spirit is necessary if we are to obey the Law and grow in holiness (cf. Rom 8:4; CCC 577–81, 1967).” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, 25)

Reading this passage, I’m reminded of St. Augustine’s famous saying:

“The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” (from CCC 129, Cf. St. Augustine, Quaest. in Hept. 2,73:PL 34,623; Cf. DV 16)

The Old Testament has many exciting stories and tells of some great adventures. Some of it can be a slog, making readers wonder of the relevancy of certain parts. This is why I always recommend good commentaries that provide both exegesis and theology to bring out the value of the most seemingly mundane, uninteresting, or confusing parts. An indispensable reference is Bergma and Pitre, Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament. Also, having the Navarre Bible is an invaluable resource; my recommendation is to use that Bible if planning to read the entire Old Testament. Finally, read the short but important Vatican II document, Dei Verbum, before beginning any significant Bible study.

By reading the Old Testament in light of the New, and recognizing it all as the God’s Word (that is, Jesus), there will be no danger we fall formally or informally into the heresy of Marcionism.

The Bible is a Great Adventure. Don’t miss out!

God bless.

Lent Day 19: Jesus understands…all too well

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s Gospel (Jn 2:13-25) relates Jesus’ first cleansing of the Temple early in His ministry, just days after His “coming out” party: the Miracle at Cana.

Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well. (v. 24-25)

“Jesus…has serious reservations about their belief in him…They believed in him, but he did not trust or believe in them: the Gospel uses the same word for ‘believe’ in the previous verse and for ‘trust’ in this verse. Jesus did not entrust himself to them because he knew them all. Jesus knew that Nathanael was a true Israelite , without duplicity (1:47); he has insight into what is in the hearts of others. He knew those who were impressed by the signs he worked, and he judged their belief to be insufficient for him to trust himself to them. the Gospel does not spell out why their belief falls short, but it implies that there are degrees of belief in Jesus, some of which are inadequate. Perhaps people were impressed by the signs Jesus worked but did not sufficiently perceive what the signs signified about the one who worked them; perhaps they were still on the first rung of the ladder of belief. Even though Nathanael believed in Jesus (1:49), Jesus called him to greater belief (1:50-51). this Gospel was written to call its readers to greater belief (1:50-51). this Gospel was written to call its readers to greater belief in Jesus and greater perception of who he is, even as it used the traditional titles of ‘Messiah’ and ‘Son of god’ t proclaim him (20:31).” (Bringing the Gospel of John to Life, 59)

“Jesus’ miracles moved many to recognize that he had extraordinary, divine powers. But that falls short of perfect theological faith. Jesus knew their faith was limited, and that they were not very deeply attached to him: they were interested in him as a miracle worker. this explains why he did not trust them (cf. Jn 6:15, 26) ‘Many people today are like that. they carry the name of faithful , but they are fickle and inconstant’, comments Chrysostom (Hom. on St John, 23,1).

“Jesus’ knowledge of men’s hearts is another sign of his divinity; for example, Nathanael and the Samaritan woman recognized him as the Messiah because they were convinced by the evidence of supernatural power he showed by reading their hearts (cf. Jn 11:49; 4:29). (The Navarre Bible: St John, 66)

Despite what it says in the immediately previous paragraph, I’m not sure Jesus had to call on His divinity (remember Philippians 2:6) to discern what’s in the heart. Two things come to mind:

  1. It seems to me we often forget that Jesus lived for thirty years a “hidden life.” Hidden does not mean hiding from the world, though. I suspect Jesus was a keen observer of His fellow man. How many nasty people came into His dad’s (and later His) workshop? How often did customers refuse to pay the full amount or pay at all? How did Jesus feel when He became the complaint department? How much gossip did he hear when in town or delivering goods? He saw plenty of human nature (which He shared with us) on display, maybe more so because He grew up in a small town and not a thriving metropolis — everybody knew each other’s business and some, undoubtedly nosed their way in.
  2. Jesus, being the perfect man, without concupiscence clouding His intellect, would have been particularly sensitive to others’ feelings, emotions, and masks. He knew sincerity or lack thereof when He encountered it.

Jesus reads hearts. What will His reaction be when He finishes our tome?

Jesus Cleansing the Temple (ca. 1655) by Bernardino Mei

God bless.

Lent Day 15: Master and Servant

Posted on by
Reply

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s Gospel (Mt 20:17-28), as Jesus death approaches, He really lays into the scribes and Pharisees. One verse that has caused controversy since the Protestant Revolt:

“[W]hoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” (vv. 26-27)

“Jesus stresses that Christians ought to be servants and slaves to one another. This is, in practice, a more difficult proposition than being servants and slaves to God. once we have accepted the reality of God as Master of the Universe, it is easy to perform the gesture of self-subordination to him. In fact, in such a gesture there always lurks the temptation of a certain exhibitionism and even self-aggrandizement by my association with the Lord of all. Jesus’ invitation here, in fact, abolishes all verticality that could be construed as a ladder of social ascent, even with ‘God’ at the top.” (Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Volume III, 289)

“Vatican II puts a marked emphasis on this service which the Church offers to the world and which Christians should show as proof of their Christian identity: ‘[T]his sacred synod, proclaiming the noble destiny of man and championing the Godlike seed which has been sown in him, offers to mankind the honest assistance of the Church in fostering that brotherhood of all men which corresponds to this destiny of theirs. Inspired by no earthly ambition, the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not to be served.’ [(Gaudium et spes, 3, taken from vatican.va)[” (The Navarre Bible: St Matthew, 177)

Jesus says this to James and John after their mother advocated for them to have a special place in the Lord’s kingdom, upsetting the other ten apostles. The takeaway for all the Twelve were the words of Jesus highlighted here. The idea of being a servant, and even more so, a slave, is repugnant to modern man, especially when the one we are asked to be subordinate to has a low standing in our eyes. And since we are to act this way toward everyone, the number of “undesirables” in our estimation will be a high number.

So, the thing for us to remember is this:

Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (Jn 13:16)

God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

God bless.