A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
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.”
After hearing Jesus tell them that “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, the disciples discuss who is the greatest among them as they begin a journey through Galilee. Jesus’ response to them shows that to be the greatest means to be the servant of all, as will be fulfilled in his coming suffering and Passion. By placing a child in the midst of the disciples, Jesus elevates the place of childlike faith in receiving both him and the One who sent him, the Father. How can I trust the Father today in serving others in childlike faith?
God, help me understand the words of your Son, the servant of all. Jesus told the disciples, “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.” Let me have no delusion about what it means to be the servant of all. It means laying down my life in small sacrifices and if necessary, the ultimate sacrifice. Let me trust in your mercy, God. As Sirach says in the first reading: “You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. You who fear the LORD, trust him, and your reward will not be lost.”
Lord, just as Jesus said he would be handed over and killed, he also said he would rise. “Where now are the world’s many powerful men?” asked Saint Peter Damian. “If you should examine their graves, would you not find that their entire body, before which the world was forced to tremble, scarcely weighs a single pound?” Lord, help me remember that in serving you I may be hated by all because of your name but that in the end, not a hair on my head will be destroyed. Saint Peter Damian, pray for us!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.