A Greater Grace

May 20, 2008

Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. James 4:8-10

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." Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:35-37

Piety

"If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." Norris Burkes

Mr. Burkes is a civilian hospital chaplain and an Air Force Guard chaplain.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/052008.shtml

Jesus turns the table on the disciples. In fact, he turns the tables on humanity. To truly follow Jesus, we have to stop following our internal passions and our external relationships in the world.

Not only do we exercise our own emotions, but also we seek approval from those whom we love – parents, teachers, siblings, employers, etc. Yet today, James and Jesus are singing from a different hymnal. They are saying stop trying to curry favor with humanity. Instead, seek favor from God and you will get a greater grace.

However, to obtain that, we must take on a wholly different mindset. Instead of trying to find favor with our own passions or leaders, instead we should try to draw near to God. When we do that, God also will draw closer to us.

In a world where wealth and position indicate economic and political power, Jesus says that is not the source of a “greater grace.” Instead, rather than seeking favor with Caesar or the Roman army or the leaders of the church, Jesus turns to the person in society who has the least power…a child.

Just like God turned to a child to save the world, we too must revere the least powerful among us in order to draw closer to God. It matters not if we sit at God’s right and left sides. Instead, we should seek the lowest chair and the least honor – humility – if we are to pursue the highest honors.

Action

Volunteer to baby sit for the children of a young family to give the parents a respite from their care-giving roles. If you don’t know a young family, volunteer for an hour or two in your church’s Sunday nursery so parents can enjoy a peaceful Mass without fidgeting children. Remind yourself or the powerful role that Jesus tells us that children play in our lives.