25 TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)
First Reading: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Responsorial Psalm: 54:3-4, 5, 6, & 8
Second Reading: James 3:16 – 4:3
Gospel Reading: Mark 9:30-37
Reflection: In today’s Responsorial Psalm we responded, “The Lord upholds my life.” Yes. The life we have is the precious gift from God. We don’t own it. Before our God, we are like little babies in the hands of their caregivers. The wellbeing of a little babies is in the hands of their caregivers. It is the caregiver who provides the little baby with all basic services. When the little baby finds herself in any dire need, she will cry to express her need as she calls the attention of her caregiver. The psalmist is true to say that the Lord upholds his life. Even the wicked as we find in today’s First Reading, they know that God has the power to defend his children as they say, “For the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.” Yes, God does so. He is the one who protects us in all dangers. In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus prophesies of his own death and resurrection for the second time. He says, “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.” Though his life will be put to halt, God has the power to reclaim it through the act of resurrection. Again, the disciples were not interested to hear this prophesy for the second time. As the result, they deepen themselves in discussing their own temporal affairs as who was the greatest among themselves. Jesus finds out that his disciples are loosing the focus of the journey he had begun with them. The destination of their journey
is not on acquiring positions of power in this world. It is not about self-gaining or self-enrichment but rather it is about the service to others. It is about serving God and serving our sisters and brothers. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” To even add more emphasis on what he had said, he says, “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.” We can only be able to comprehend this teaching when we fully surrender ourselves into God own hands, knowing and acknowledging that: “The Lord upholds my life.” Yes! Amen! Fr. Severine.