Whoever wishes to be great among you -- March 7

By Diane Bayne

You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God. . .
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors." Psalm 31: 5-6 and 15-16

Jesus summoned them and said;
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20: 25-28

The readings for this day give us more valuable information, information on the core of who we need to be and on the core of who Christ is. Our situation is like that of the psalmist--we are utterly dependent upon God. An experience of God's unconditional love is necessary for us if we are to share the psalmist's serene confidence that God, and good, will ultimately prevail. Finally, cleansed of all pride, we need to become humble enough to surrender completely to the Divine action within us. In today's Gospel, the actions of the apostles, James and John (they are named explicitly in Mark 10: 35-45) are far from humble. They are ambitious and thinking in terms of personal success. They still have to learn that the Kingdom is not of this world and that true greatness lies in serving rather than in being served.

Piety

In Prayer and the Quest for Healing (New York: Crossroad, 1999) Barbara Fiand remarks "Piety is enhanced neither by individual or institutional certitude, nor by doctrinal obsession with correctness. It flows out of a humble heart emptied of all presuppositions, assumptions, and expectations" p. 26. Such an attitude permeates today's psalm reading, while in the Gospel reading, the contrast is stark indeed between the attitude of the apostles and the attitude of Jesus: the apostles' attitude is one of acquisitiveness and personal gain, while Jesus' is one of openness, emptiness, receptivity and service. These are the attitudes that admit one to the Kingdom. To what extent do these attitudes govern my life and actions? In what areas of my life are they diminished or missing?

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/030707.shtml

The attitudes described above are the marks of a spirit of poverty and humility. Find a book about a saint known for such a spirit-- Francis of Assisi and Dorothy Day immediately come to mind. Read and share with your group reunion this week.

ACTION

How many ways this Lent have you practiced poverty? Humility? What one way could you do so today?