Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant

Eccle. 36:1.4-5.10-17, Mk 10:32-45. Today's first reading insists on the respect we must show towards the gifts of others. Absorbed in what God can do for His chosen people, Sirach prays that foreign nations will fear God. He lived and conducted his learning in Jerusalem during a time of peace, just before the great troubles that pulse through Daniel and the books of Maccabees burst upon Israel. Yet not content with the serenity of peaceful times, he begs God not to let His people be lulled into complacency and compromise. Unlike other wisdom literature authors,such as Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, Sirach delights in the Temple liturgy. He shows respect for the talents and gifts of others and encourages them. In the same way, Jesus sets Himself as a pattern for true leadership who shows regard for the gift of others. Even with the reality of impending danger, Jesus goes with confidence towards Jerusalem, His final destination where He will fulfil the will of the Father.

Today's Gospel describes the disciples dismay, on the road to Jerusalem, as they heard Jesus speak about His coming Passion. Instead of reflecting on the reality of the passion of Christ, the two sons of Zebedee were only interested in self-promotion. The corresponding reaction of the other disciples is a signal to their ulterior motive. Jesus corrects this notion and makes it very clear that true leadership is service oriented following the example of Jesus who came not to be served but to serve and to die for others. At the heart of being His disciple is self-giving love, becoming the servant of others and this will mean taking the way of the Cross. Today, we are called to follow the one who did not come to be served but to serve, whose purpose in life was not to promote Himself but to empty Himself for others. It is only in following this way that we will receive that share in Jesus’ glory that was the focus of James and John’s request.

May the Lord bless us with the gift of cheerfulness and a generous heart so that we may bring joy to our homes, work and to all those we meet! Amen!! Good morning and have a wonderful day!!!