Introduction to the Liturgy of the Day

This time of year is one of transition. The casual rhythms of the summer, often marked by leisure and vacation activities, give way to a new school year and a more rigorous schedule. The Gospel passages from last week and this week hint at a transition for Jesus and his disciples as well.  Jesus tells them that soon he will be handed over to authorities who will kill him, but that after three days he would rise. The days of traveling around Galilee—far from Jerusalem—are ending. As we anticipate the coming of fall, let us each resolve to carry our own cross through all life’s rhythms, reassured by the promise of resurrection.
 

Introduction to the Liturgy of the Word

Today’s readings can be quite unpleasant. Envious instigators plot revenge against a righteous soul. James explains that greed and envy are at the root of conflict between people. Jesus again warns his disciples that soon he will be handed over to men intent on killing him. But there is a loving Christian response to all this. Listening to today’s readings, note the difference selflessness can make.

 

Reflections

• James identifies the ultimate sources of conflict in the very first line of today’s passage: jealousy and selfishness. Just look at the other two readings. The instigators in the first reading attack the just one out of jealousy. They say they want to prove that God will take care of him. But they really don’t believe that in the first place; they just want to torture and kill him. The disciples in the Gospel selfishly argue among themselves about which one was the greatest. In this way, they’ve betrayed their own ambition and jealousy.

• Children, like the one Jesus embraced, are totally dependent on grownups. Adults provide them food, clothing, and shelter; security, guidance, and love. In Jesus’ time, children, like servants, had no legal rights and no real social status. To be willing to place yourself in that position requires that you excise jealousy, else you would be jealous of all grownups. Jesus promises that doing so brings you not only him, but the One who sent him, the author of life and all that is in it.

• Children can also teach the disciples what it was like to feel free to reveal one’s own ignorance. The disciples did not understand Jesus’ prediction, but they were afraid to let him know this, so they remained in the dark. Just as children do not fear losing legal rights or social status they do not have, they do not fear losing their reputation. The disciples did, so they chose to misunderstand rather than betray their ignorance. As James put it, they asked wrongly—just to sound knowledgeable, not to really be enlightened.
 

Question of the Week

What can I do to be received into the kingdom with open arms?