SYNOPSIS OF OT XXV [B] Sunday (Sept 20) Homily, Mk 9:30-37 Introduction: Today’s readings invite us to become great in the sight of God by doing God’s will, as Jesus did, surrendering our lives in loving service of others.
Scripture lessons: The passage from the Book of Wisdom sounds like a Messianic prophecy similar to the “Suffering Servant” prophecy in Isaiah. This reading tells us how the world often ill-treats those who strive to live justly and to do God’s will. It refers to Christ’s passion and urges us to choose the path of righteousness in spite of painful consequences, as Jesus did. In today’s Psalm, (Ps 54), the Psalmist prays for help against the insolent people who rise against the upright. The second reading is in tune with the dispute among the apostles about who is the greatest, recorded in today’s Gospel. James reminds us that, instead of serving one another, we are jealous and envious of one another, we fight and kill one another, and we wage war because we covet others’ goods. James warns us that selfish ambitions destroy peace and cause conflicts in our country, local communities, Churches and families. Hence, he advises us to choose the path of righteousness and humble, loving service, which leads to lasting peace. Jesus, in today’s Gospel, gives us a glimpse of the path proposed by the first and second readings—namely, lovingly embracing and serving the vulnerable in our midst: the defenseless children, the despairing poor, the terrified, the mentally ill, the marginalized, the disabled, the refugees of war. True greatness lies in our ability to see and respond to the needs of others and it presupposes compassion and sympathy. The Christian vocation is an apostolate of bearing witness to Christ through loving service. Jesus also teaches his apostles that child-like humility and loving, selfless service make one great in the eyes of God.
Life messages: # 1: We must become great through loving, humble, self-giving service. Greatness, in Jesus’ view, is found in our willingness to accept, welcome and serve with love those who are considered unacceptable and undeserving by reason of class, color, religion, poverty or culture. We must welcome people the loving way a child welcomes them before he is taught discrimination. # 2: If we are to be truly great, we must be ready to accept four challenges: (a) to put ourselves last, (b) to be the servant of all,(c) to receive the most insignificant human beings with love, and (d) to expect nothing in return. During the holy Mass let us pray for the true spirit of service, for an attitude of love for those around us. # 3: We need to express our thanks to all those who serve us: those who clean our houses, cook meals for us, wash our clothes, those volunteers in our parish community who serve at the Eucharistic celebration as altar servers, ushers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, choir members, Sunday school teachers, members of parish organizations like the Knight of Columbus, Ladies Sodality, St. Vincent De Paul Society and so many other organizations and groups and those government and city employees who serve the public.
OT XXV [B] (Sept 20) Wis 2:12, 17-20; Jas 3:16–4:3; Mk 9:30-37
Anecdote: “The most powerful woman in the world!” At the screening of the film Mother Teresa during the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations in 1983, the Secretary General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, rose from his seat to introduce Mother Teresa to an elite gathering of the representatives of all member countries of the U.N. He needed only one sentence for his introduction: “I present to you the most powerful woman in the world!” Hers was the power of humble, sacrificial, Christian service and agapelove! On March 3, 1976, conferring on Mother Teresa the highest honor of India’s Vishwa Bharati University, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who was at that time Prime Minister of India, said: “I feel myself dwarfed when I stand before this holy and mighty woman who heroically showed the world how to practice Christian love in sacrificial and humble service.” For many years, the world watched, admired and honored this weak and elderly nun, always dressed in a blue-bordered white sari, as the incarnation of humble and sacrificing Christian service. She was the living proof of Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel that real greatness lies in serving others. She served all with love and compassion. From 1962 onwards, she received national and international awards in recognition of her greatness, attained through the humble service done to the “poorest of the poor.” On Sept. 5, 1997, the day of the death of this holy woman who lived with us, practicing what Jesus commanded his apostles in today’s Gospel, Pope John Paul II said: “Mother Teresa marked the history of our century with courage. She served all human beings by promoting their dignity and respect, making them feel the tenderness of God.”
# 2: “She could have jumped.” There was a story a number of years ago that was carried in the newspapers and in Time magazine. Mary Frances “Frankie” Housley(October 12, 1926 – January 14, 1951) was the lone stewardess on National Airlines flight 83 which crashed after landing at Philadelphia Airport in January, 1951. Frankie Housley had made 10 trips into that burning plane… to help passengers get out. As soon as she had finished getting all of the passengers to safety Housley also started to jump from the plane. But just before she made her escape, a passenger on the ground screamed, “My baby, my baby!” Flight attendant Mary Housley turned back into the plane to find the baby, and that was the last time anyone saw her alive. She died in the attempt to save the baby, and rescue workers found her charred body holding the four-month-old baby in her arms. The story of her courage made national headlines, including an item in Time magazine. ( Time (Jan. 22, 1951). One passenger called her a “real heroine.” A congressman labeled her the bravest American in history. .