I therefore
command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to
venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress,
to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in
their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.
-St. Francis of Assisi
I therefore command all my Brothers, those living now and those to come in the future, to venerate the Holy Mother of God, whom we always implore to be our Protectress, to praise her at all times, in all circumstances of life, with all the means in their power and with the greatest devotion and submission.
-St. Francis of Assisi
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest
Lectionary: 349
Reading 1
Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
look upon us, show us the light of your mercies,
and put all the nations in dread of you!
Thus they will know, as we know,
that there is no God but you, O Lord.
Give new signs and work new wonders.
Gather all the tribes of Jacob,
that they may inherit the land as of old,
Show mercy to the people called by your name;
Israel, whom you named your firstborn.
Take pity on your holy city,
Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty,
your temple with your glory.
Give evidence of your deeds of old;
fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name,
Reward those who have hoped in you,
and let your prophets be proved true.
Hear the prayer of your servants,
for you are ever gracious to your people;
and lead us in the way of justice.
Thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth
that you are the eternal God.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
R. Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia Alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Alleluia
Gospel
The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man
will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death
and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise.”
Then 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 chalice 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 chalice 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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Persevering to Glory
In today's Gospel story, Jesus is leading his disciples toward Jerusalem and he is leading his own feet toward the most severe persecution he ever faced. He knew the sacrifice he'd have to make. Are we willing to accept hardships for the sake of doing God's work? We are if we really want to love others as Jesus loves them.
Meanwhile, James and John wanted to achieve spiritual glory the easy way. They wanted to be honored with Jesus in his kingdom, and they wanted to get there just by asking for it. But such glory comes only after sacrifice. There is no easy road to sainthood, no shortcut to the prestige or supernatural gifts of God's kingdom. We have to follow Jesus to the cross if we want to reach the glory that awaits those who are victorious over evil.
Have you ever wondered why God doesn't snap his almighty fingers to make your problems go away instantly? Instead, he leads you deeper into the problem -- true? It's not because he wants you to suffer. The Father did not want Jesus to suffer, but it was the only way that humankind could be redeemed.
If we really want God to redeem the bad situations in our lives, we have to accept that the way to get there is through the cross. We have to be willing to endure the difficulties, and in enduring them, learn patience, and in learning patience, develop unconditional love for troublemakers, and in developing unconditional love, become more fully united with God who is love.
Jesus told James and John that they would be baptized by pain. What does baptism do? Water baptisms give us rebirth by drowning our sinful nature and raising us up to full life in God. Baptism by being immersed deeper into our problems also drowns our sinful nature -- if we go through it with Jesus -- and this redeems the situation much more gloriously than if God had ended it early with a snap of his fingers.
(Note: If you're in an abusive relationship, God is not asking you to carry this cross. It's not loving to anyone. God is asking you to get away to a safe place where you can insist that the abuser seek professional help. Only after real change takes place -- real healing in both of you -- will it be time for a resurrected relationship.)
By drinking of the same cup that Jesus accepted, we discover that we've never been more intimate with Jesus, because we're closest to him when we join him in everything -- including the cross. But when we exclude the cross, trying to take the easy route, we turn our backs on the Savior who loved us so much that he suffered a horrible death for us.
Are you willing to accept the hardships of true Christian living? Rejoice, for God will raise up many blessings from your sacrifices!
Today's Prayer
Beloved Jesus: Purify my heart so my intentions will always be noble and I will always share, with love, Your love for others. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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