Celebración de la palabra

Tuesday February 25

Tuesday of 7th Week of Ordinary Time

BE THE LAST AND SERVE!

Introduction

James points to the causes of conflict and laxity within the Christian community: not outward influences, not so much different opinions, but the evil in the heart of each, like love of pleasure and of the world, envy and pride.
Gospel. (Jesus announces his passion and resurrection for the second time, but the disciples did not understand him. Do we understand? We have begun this Eucharist by placing it under the sign of the cross. Do we understand the cross, especially when it weighs on our own shoulders?) The future leaders of the Church, the disciples, are not free from dangerous defects like ambition; they seek the power of the first place in the kingdom, they do not understand that Jesus – and they, too – will have to suffer, and that service and simplicity are required to promote the kingdom.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you know what is in our hearts.
Purify our thoughts, change our mentality
and give us the attitude of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to identify with Jesus,
to accept suffering as a part of life
and of our efforts to establish your kingdom.
In whatever position we are,
keep us humble, trusting and simple
and may we have no other ambition
than to serve your Son in our sisters and brothers.
For he was the servant of all
and so you made him our Lord for ever.

Reading 1 Jas 4:1-10

Beloved:
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly,
to spend it on your passions.
Adulterers!
Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture speaks without meaning when it says,
The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy?
But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:
God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.

So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep.
Let your laughter be turned into mourning
and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord
and he will exalt you.

Responsorial Psalm 55:7-8, 9-10A, 10B-11A, 23

R. (23a) Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
And I say, "Had I but wings like a dove,
I would fly away and be at rest.
Far away I would flee;
I would lodge in the wilderness."
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
"I would wait for him who saves me
from the violent storm and the tempest."
Engulf them, O Lord; divide their counsels.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
In the city I see violence and strife,
day and night they prowl about upon its walls.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
Cast your care upon the LORD,
and he will support you;
never will he permit the just man to be disturbed.
R. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.

Alleluia Gal 6:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May I never boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise."
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
"If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
"Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.

Commentary

We are not certain who the original recipients of James’s letter were. But it was certainly a community beset with severe problems. Today the author speaks of conflicts and disputes. Misunderstandings are a part of life. And that is what they should remain: an understanding that has been “missed.” But how often they are allowed to fester and extend into long periods of discord and dislike?
James draws an interesting parallel between those who love the world and those who love God. Those who love the world are characterized by a spirit of discord and antipathy. Those who love God operate on a different plane. God resists the proud and bestows his favors on the lowliest. In staying close to God, our hearts are purified and our hands cleansed.
Interestingly enough, James makes explicit what today’s Gospel calls for. Discord and conflict often rise out of a spirit of “one-upmanship,” putting people “in their place.” But truly Christian speech never seeks to control or lord it over anyone. The one who is first, says Christ, is the servant of all and remains the least. Genuine Christians never try to place themselves over others. Even when they have to correct others, they do it with respect and concern.
This central teaching of the New Testament is unfortunately easily forgotten. Ambition takes people down ruthless trails both in society and, regrettably, within the church. Friendships are cultivated to pave the way for the future, to help “climb the ladder of success.” But for the Christian, the only proper direction to move on the ladder is down to service and compassion, not “up” to self-glorification and worldly success. This is a descent that leads to eternal life.

Points to Ponder

Conflict resolution
Dealing with a jealous spirit
Becoming the “servant of all”

Intercessions

– For those who are the greatest in the Church, that they may serve with great dedication and without looking down the weakest, the poorest, those wounded in life, we pray:
– For the mighty of this earth, that they may care especially about the rights, the dignity and the well-being of the lowliest masses under their charge, we pray:
– For those working in lowly jobs shunned by others, for those who have unhealthy or dangerous tasks, that we may appreciate them and that the Lord may help them, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we bring before you ordinary food and drink,
the signs of everyday life;
and yet, in these your Son will become present here.
Is it that you wanted to teach us
that we have not to look for you
in extraordinary places and things
but in the simplicity of the familiar?
On account of your Son, accept us as we are,
just ordinary people willing to serve you.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
you have been patient with us
as Jesus was with his disciples.
When we were proud of our own achievements,
you placed before us your perfect servant, Jesus Christ,
and let us look at him and share his table.
Make us like him, straightforward, spontaneous,
and eager to serve you in our brothers and sisters.
We know that we are in your hands
and that you will support us
on account of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

That terrible hunger for power and prestige! It is doing much damage, also in the Church, in our Christian communities. May God give you rather the spirit of service and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.