Catechism Links [1]
CCC 599-609: Christ’s redemptive death in the plan of
salvation
CCC 520: Christ’s self-emptying as an example for us to
imitate
CCC 467, 540, 1137: Christ the High Priest
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| “The Miser” by Hendrick Gerritsz Pot, 1640s |
Reading 1: Isaiah 53:10-11
The LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an
offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants
in a long life,
and the will of the LORD
shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in
fullness
of days;
through his suffering, my
servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
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Commentary on Is 53:10-11
This fourth part of the “suffering servant”
discourse takes up the topic of the value of suffering. It describes how the
servant becomes the “sin offering,” a sacrifice in the Jewish tradition in
atonement for sins. In this case we are told, “through his suffering, my
servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.” The Hebrew
tradition holds up this passage as a clear reference to the Messiah. The image
painted by these words portrays how Jesus came to fulfill the prophet’s promise
as he offered his life, suffering and dying upon the cross.
CCC: Is 53:10-12 440, 615; Is 53:10 623; Is 53:11-12 601; Is 53:11 64, 579, 601, 623, 1502
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:4-5,
18-19, 20, 22
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the
LORD,
and all his works are
trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD
the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be
on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are
upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his
kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of
famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be
on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our
shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be
upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be
on us, as we place our trust in you.
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Commentary on Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Psalm 33 is a
song of praise and thanksgiving. In this
selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who has saving power combined
with hope, a central component of faith in God. The sense of God’s adoption of
his chosen ones is expressed as the singer rejoices in the interdependence of
the people and God’s love.
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Reading II: Hebrews 4:14-16
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high
priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our
confession.
For we do not have a high
priest
who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly
been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently
approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find
grace for timely help.
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Commentary on Heb 4:14-16
In the Book of Hebrews we hear the
author comparing Christ to the Jewish High Priest who is esteemed and pampered
because of his rank. Jesus, on the other hand was tested and found to be
sinless. Because the Lord has humbled himself (see Philippians
2:7-11), reaching out to us, we are confident of the great compassion
the Lord provides and the endless mercy that will be extended to those who ask
for aid.
"Let us adore Christ who
emptied Himself to assume the condition of a slave. He was tempted in every way
that we are, but did not sin. Let us turn in prayer to Him, saying, 'You took
on our human weakness. Be the eyes of the blind, the strength of the weak, the
friend of the lonely'" ("Liturgy of the Hours", Christmas Day,
Evening Prayer I).
CCC: Heb 4:14-15 1137; Heb 4:15 467, 540, 609, 612, 2602; Heb
4:16 2778
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Gospel
Longer Form: Mark 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to
do for us whatever we ask of you."
He replied, "What do you
wish me to do for you?"
They answered him,
"Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right
and the other at your left."
Jesus said to them, "You
do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I
drink
or be baptized with the
baptism with which I am baptized?"
They said to him, "We
can."
Jesus said to them, "The
cup that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with
which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at
my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it
has been prepared."
When the ten heard this, they
became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said
to them,
"You know that those who
are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make
their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among
you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be
great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first
among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not
come to be served
but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many."
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Commentary on Mk 10:35-45
Just prior to this Gospel passage
Jesus makes the third prediction of the passion in St. Mark’s Gospel. The sons
of Zebedee take this opportunity (thinking the time for Christ to come into
glory was imminent) to ask for places of honor when he assumes his place. The
Lord responds with the metaphors: "Can you drink the cup that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" ̶ these
being symbolic of his passion and death. When the brothers respond in the
affirmative, Jesus predicts that they will follow him in martyrdom, but that
only God can give them the places of honor they request.
When the disciples become upset at
James and John, Jesus uses the opportunity to explain “servant leadership.”
Unlike secular leaders who autocratically order their subjects about, the
servant leader comes to lead by example and service to those being led. He
concludes by describing his own role: “For the Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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OR
Shorter Form: Mark 10:42-45
Jesus summoned the twelve and
said to them,
"You know that those who
are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make
their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among
you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great
among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first
among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not
come to be served
but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many."
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Commentary on Mk 10:42-45
The shorter form of the Gospel
serves to explain “servant leadership.” Unlike secular leaders who
autocratically order their subjects about, the servant leader comes to lead by
example and service to those being led. He concludes by describing his own
role: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give
his life as a ransom for many.”
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Reflection:
The non-Christian leaders
demanded single-minded loyalty from those subordinate to them. The moral code they followed provided rules
for those they governed, supervised or led that did not apply to them. The purpose of their leadership had one goal;
to make the leader as comfortable as possible and to insure that every whim of
the leader and their family could be met through the wealth and power
amassed. In short the motive for
leadership was greed. Does this
leadership style sound familiar?
It should, because as much as
we would like to think that the Christian foundation of the United States of
America has developed an enlightened leadership style and management practices
with those underlying Christian principles of service to others and
responsibility for those being led; what has evolved over the past 50 years is
the same “pagan” leadership paradigm that has existed in different forms since
before the time of Christ.
Today the modern industrial
leader in publicly held companies, in order to keep his large salary and more
importantly his stock options, must achieve one major goal. He or she must, on a quarterly basis, enhance
shareholder equity. That means the
people and institutions that hold the company’s shares of stock must be
satisfied that the value of those shares does not just remain stagnant but goes
up, the faster the better. And when that
is all the leadership of a company cares about, essentially greed for
themselves and the greed of the stockholders, every other Christian principle
may be sacrificed. The good of the
employees becomes secondary, the quality and utility of the product or service
is also subservient to the “bottom line.”
This is not an indictment of capitalism,
but it is an indictment of greed, and greed, unfortunately also has found its
way into our political system as well.
As our country has grown and our laws become more complex, the political
leadership has also evolved. It became
necessary to raise money to advertise a political candidate’s platform and
those who contributed the money felt that the candidate owed them favors that
were in their best interests. By this
motivation toward self-interest, the natural outcome will be a government no
longer based upon Christian morality but rather by the principles of secular humanism; exactly what we are seeing today.
Christian values in the
political context were viable only as long as the people with money to support
the candidates thought they were valuable.
In today’s culture the successful candidate must be a master of compromise,
and unfortunately greed drives them to compromise in ethical and moral areas
that Christ would say has insured them a home in “Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9: 47-48)
James and John, although
their motives were not for material greed, had desires for positions of honor
in the Heavenly Kingdom
We pray today for those who
have compromised and we include ourselves in that prayer. May God help us to serve appropriately and
may he also give us the grace to be served by him, the servant of all mankind.
Pax
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2]
The picture is “The Miser” by Hendrick Gerritsz Pot, 1640s.
[4]
The readings are taken from the New American
Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by
the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication
is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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