A Homily – The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

First Reading – Wisdom 2:12,17-20

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 53(54):3-6,8

Second Reading – James 3:16-4:3

Gospel Acclamation – John 8:12

Alternative Acclamation – 2 Thessalonians 2:14

The Gospel According to Mark 9:30-37 ©

 

(NJB)              

 

Listen!

 This reading is presented as a prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus. Though in reality, both Paul and the Gospel writers patterned much of their depiction of him on this image of the blameless man.

 Know this:

 It is good to be upright and moral, to walk humbly, to love justice and be merciful; it is good to live this way. Some find the good life easy to fulfill, even in the midst of tragedy and violence persecutions, in justice and moral depravity, some will remain committed to these beliefs and principles…to this way of life. Others find the just life hard, and will concoct excuses for their sinful ways, blaming others, offering justifications and deflections for the choices they made...some will even believe them.

 Be mindful!

 God loves the just person and the sinner both. God, the creator of the universe, God has a plan for each of them. God’s love is boundless and redounds to the benefit of all…every saint is a sinner and all sinners shall be sainted.

 Remember this:

 When you are in distress, God is with you. The eternal source of all that is, it is to God that we all return. We, together with our family and friends, the alien and the adversary, we are all on the same journey, returning to the divine—where there is no enmity. 

 Consider the wisdom of the apostle James, the brother of the Jesus. James tells us that we will know if the teaching is sound insofar as fosters peace, kindness, and thoughtfulness among in the community wherein it is taught. If the teaching promotes compassion and good works among the people, it is doing the work of God. Its soundness will be evinced not merely in the beauty of the spoken word, and the zeal for the mission of the Church, but in the fruit which our actions bear.

 Be mindful of the divisions which emerge within the Church, every breach of unity among the people represents a deviation from the way.

 Heal broken relationships with love and patience; do not petition God to solve the problems before you, rather pray for forgiveness, and be prepared to forgive those with whom and by whom you have been alienated.

 This is the way, and we all in it together. We are all moving inexorably toward God, the divine source of all being, no-one is barred from the way.

 Understand this!

 All people are created in the divine image, we carry a seed of the logos within us; all people have been chosen by God to receive the sanctifying spirit. This is the good news, the really good news as proclaimed by Jesus of Nazareth, as Christians we are called upon to trust in this reality and share our faith in it by word and deed.

 Consider the Gospel reading for today; in it we see an unadulterated presentation of the way, as Jesus preached it, as he lived it and taught it.

 Jesus understood that his disciples struggled, as all people do, with social order and pride of place. They were obsessed with hierarchies, and privilege. He was repeatedly reminded them that leadership meant service, that we are closest to God when we are engaged in loving service.

 There is no place for pride, or arrogance in office, when you are walking in the way. There is no mystery here, it is simply the truth. The injunction that Jesus places on his disciples goes beyond the acceptance of children, it is includes all people, because we are all the children of God. Jesus commands his followers to treat everyone as if they were in the presence of God, because they are, the real presence of the divine resides in all of us. It is on account of this fundamental reality that we are to approach our service with one another in the spirit of humility, telling us over and over again, that the first must be last and the last must be first.

 Know this!

 Women cannot be relegated to the back of the Church; there are no outcasts in the God’s garden, even the leper is welcomed with a kiss. Through the way that Jesus lived his life, he showed us that everyone has to be treated with the same regard, cherished as children of God; from the lowest born to the highest rank, enemy and friend alike.

 This is the way.

First Reading – Wisdom 2:12,17-20

The Wicked Prepare to Ambush the Just Man

The godless say to themselves:

‘Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.

‘Let us see if what he says is true, let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.

If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.

Let us test him with cruelty and with torture, and thus explore this gentleness of his and put his endurance to the proof.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’

 

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 53(54):3-6,8

A Plea for Help

Before the feast of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come. He had always loved those who were his, and now he showed the full extent of his love.

Alleluia, alleluia!

God, by your name, save me.

  In your power, God, judge me.

God, listen to my prayer

  and turn your ear to the words of my mouth.

The proud have risen up against me,

  the strong seek to take my life.

  They do not keep God in their hearts.

But God helps me,

  and the Lord lifts up my soul.

Willingly I will sacrifice to you

  and proclaim your name, O God,

  proclaim your good name.

It has rescued me from all my troubles,

  and my eyes look down on my enemies.

Amen.

Alleluia!

 

Second Reading – James 3:16-4:3

The Wisdom that Comes from Above Makes for Peace

Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.

  Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.

 

Gospel Acclamation – John 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

 

Alternative Acclamation – 2 Thessalonians 2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

 

The Gospel According to Mark 9:30-37 ©

Anyone Who Welcomes One of these Little Children in My Name Welcomes Me

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

 

A Homily – The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)