In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Two crosses loom before our eyes: the cross of Christ and our own cross.

In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus speaks about His coming suffering and crucifixion. It seemed scandalous to Peter who, as most people in those days, saw suffering as only a curse and without redeeming value. But, we know the rest of the story. From Jesus’ Crucifixion came His Resurrection, redemption and renewal. Some of the most majestic Christian hymns over the centuries have been about the Crucifixion of Christ. Today, we raise the crucifix high in our churches because we see it as the place of Christ’s great victory over sin, death and human treachery. Some churches conclude the Stations of the Cross with a fifteenth station of the Resurrection so that we don’t divorce Christ’s death from His Resurrection. To do so can be spiritually lethal. Cross and Resurrection go together for the Christian disciple.

The challenge to us from today’s Gospel is not the cross of Christ as it was for Peter but the second cross about which Jesus speaks. That is the cross we carry in our own life. Everybody has a cross. Life without a cross is a fantasy. Our cross may be medical, financial, emotional, familial, work-related; it may be our neighbor, our spouse or our memories. We do not see the outcome of our cross as clearly as we see the outcome of Christ’s cross.

The particular cross we carry, however, opens our eyes to some critical truths.

The first is that the cross is what unites us. The poet Virgil has a line in his epic poem, “The Aeneid,” where the protagonist Aeneas sees images of war drawn on a wall. It brings back memories of what he had actually experienced. Virgil then states, (“Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.” “There are tears at the heart of our world, and men’s hearts are moved by what people have to bear.”) Our individual crosses may differ but we all have a burden to bear. That is the common thread of our humanity. We all have a cross whether it is public or private.

The second insight for us from the cross is that the cross we carry is our distinctively individual and personal way of following the Lord. Jesus tells us to pick up our cross daily and to follow Him. It does little good to deny our cross, to resist it, to curse it, to refuse to deal with it. It is there as a fact of our life. All we can do is carry it. We can carry it grudgingly or as a disciple.

The third lesson of the cross for us is that the cross of Christ gives us hope. It is not hope that it will go away but that God will bring good from it in a way we can barely imagine. Through our cross, we will enter the world of deep discipleship; we will enter the path of faithful following of Jesus. It is the place where we will connect most deeply with the Lord.

When we boldly carry our cross, trusting in the Father’s love, that is when we can become most like Jesus. So, we have the tale of two crosses — Christ’s and our own. We know where the cross of Jesus leads. What about our own?

Fr. Krempa is pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester.

The Work of God

Year B

- 25th Sunday in ordinary time

The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.

Mark 9:29-36

29 And departing from there, they passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know it.
30 And he taught his disciple, and said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.
31 But they did not understand a word, and they were afraid to ask him.
32 And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he asked them: What did you treat of in the way?
33 But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest.
34 And sitting down, he called the twelve, and said to them: If any man desires to be first, he shall be the last of all, and the minister of all.
35 And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he said to them:
36 Whoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receives me. And whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

25th Sunday in ordinary time - The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.

I am the man of suffering, I know human pain because I have suffered it, I have surrendered my life to be altar, sacrifice and victim. Isaiah describes me in Chapter 53 talking about my death and explaining how, by my wounds all are healed.

Even after having revealed to my disciples my future death in the hands of men and my resurrection, they did not understand. They never imagined that the powerful man who could perform miracles, who had divine eloquence, was going to be a subject of mocking and martyrdom; that he was going to be humiliated by men until death, so that all would be forgiven their sins. More extraordinary for them was to listen to something never mentioned before, the resurrection from death.

Their minds were full of certain proud happiness as they were sharing my wisdom and my power, it seemed that they had forgotten my saying, “he who wants to be my disciple, must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me”. I was about to deny my own life in order to surrender it to my Father for the forgiveness of sins; I was getting prepared to carry my cross and to fulfill my mission as Savior.

In the same way, the life of each human being is full of moments of happiness, sorrow, joy, suffering, work, dissipation, courage, fear, foolishness, wisdom, laughter, tears, sin, repentance and so many other things. But above all these, there must be self-denial before the Divine Providence; humility must be outstanding, because without it, you cannot walk in my way. He who feels that he is great is the smallest in the sight of God, he who becomes small in humility and has holy fear of God, is great before Him, he is like an image of God who being so great has descended to share the human misery.

I said, he who receives a child in my name receives me. I took a little child as an example of someone who in his innocence and littleness is great before God, and have told you, unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a call to humility, because God rejects the proud, but delights exalting the humble.

Woe to those who seek human honors, power, riches and influence on others, they are too far from humility; on the other hand, those who deny themselves surrendering to the divine providence, are discovering the holy innocence that is found in children, who depend totally on their parents.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Archdiocese of Washington

Msgr. Charles Pope • September 19, 2015 •

In today’s gospel, the Lord Jesus is asking a crucial question. The word crucial here is selected carefully. It comes from the Latin cruces, meaning “cross.” Indeed, looming over this entire gospel is the Cross. Jesus makes the second prediction of His passion, death, and resurrection. It is in the context of this teaching that the Lord asks the “crucial” question of us: What is most central in our life? Let’s look at this gospel in five stages.

I. The Processional Picture – The gospel text opens this way: Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee. This will be Jesus’ final journey through Galilee. He is heading south, unto His passion, death, and resurrection.

Do not miss, in this first stage, the importance of seeing our own life as a kind of procession, a journey. We, too, are making a journey through this life, our first and only journey. We, too, with every step we take, move closer to our own death and, we pray, our resurrection with and unto the Lord.

All along the way we meet people and find things that will either help us or hinder us in getting ready for life’s true destination. There are people and things that will help us, and people and things that will distract us. Since this is a fallen world, it is a sad and perhaps unfair fact that there will be more to distract and divert us into foolish desires, pointless paths, and frivolous and harmful philosophies. More on that in a moment.

For now, simply note that the Lord is on a procession. He is headed for a critical destination, one that matters, one on which rests our very destiny. We, too, are on such a path, and while we cannot save ourselves we can surely harm ourselves. Our destiny is caught up in the decisions we make on life’s journey. Yes, we are on a procession with Jesus.

II. The Pain that is Proclaimed – The text says that though Jesus was journeying through Galilee, he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them that the Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death, the Son of Man will rise. And while the Lord surely says this in great confidence, knowing what the end shall ultimately be, we must not overlook the pain lurking in this text.

That Jesus seeks to journey quietly through Galilee is likely because He does not want to be diverted by the often-endless requests that surrounded His public appearances. But one can also imagine here a portrait of pain.

In our grief, we sometimes need to draw aside, to be with close friends and family. Large gatherings are not for us during these times.

Yet even as Jesus is teaching the disciples some very difficult things about what He will go through, the apostles are dealing with their own issues. They seem to draw back and get quiet. The text says, they were afraid to ask him any questions about this matter.

The text implies this drawing back when it later recounts that Jesus had to ask them what they were discussing as they journeyed. So it would seem that either they drew back from Jesus, or perhaps Jesus walked some distance from them, alone in His thoughts.

And thus, though we have to read be between the lines to see it, there seems to be a portrait here of Jesus in some pain, and somewhat alone in that pain. And His pain was surely increased by the selfish and egotistical discussion He must have known the disciples were having. He asked them the question as if He did not know, but surely He knew. They were debating as to who was the greatest.

III. Their Pretentious Pride – The text says, They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

Are you kidding me? No, a very consistent theme in the Scriptures that of the “inept response.” Over and over again Jesus will give a teaching, often with great solemnity, and then immediately thereafter the apostles will give a response indicating that they don’t understand Him at all, that they have completely missed the point. Inept they are, even indecent and pretentious. Having heard the Lord speak of dying painfully at the hands of others, they digress pretentiously into a conversation about which of them is the greatest.

But before we scorn or laugh at the apostles we must remember that we are the disciples. We do this very sort of thing. We divert our attention to all sorts of foolish things that don’t matter. We worry about who’s the big cheese or who’s the most important. How pointless and foolish these conversations and concerns are! How inept of us would-be disciples to get carried away with these sorts of concerns. But we do it every day, dozens of times a day.

This woefully inept and pretentious response of the disciples (and of us), which only increased Jesus’ pain, leads Him to ask the crucial question. It leads us to the central point of this gospel.

IV. The Principal Point – It is at this moment that Jesus asks the crucial question, a question not only for the Twelve, but for us as well. The text says that they came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” They remain silent out of sheer embarrassment, for they had been discussing who among them was the greatest.

“What were you arguing about on the way?” Why is this a crucial question? Perhaps if we see the question in other formats it will help. The Greek word that is translated here as arguing is διαλογίζομαι (dialogízomai), which means to reason, consider, ponder, wonder, or debate. The dia, at the beginning of the word is an intensifier and indicates a kind of back-and-forth aspect. And hence we get the concept of a debate or an argument.

With this in mind, perhaps we can hear the Lord asking the question in this way: “What are you discussing as you make your journey in life? What are you passionate about? What peaks your interest? What engages you and what do you choose to engage others about? What is of central interest to you? What is going on in your mind all day long?”

Honestly, it is a sad and embarrassing reality that so many of us who call ourselves disciples are overwhelmingly preoccupied with things that are futile, passing, of little real in importance, frivolous, and oftentimes just plain stupid. And even things that have some relative importance get an undue amount of our attention.

Meanwhile, things that do matter, the things that matter most to God, such as our salvation, our knowledge of Him, our preparation for death and judgment, repentance, love, justice, mercy; what is true, good, decent, virtuous, and beneficial in salvation; prayer, the frequent reception of the sacraments, and things spiritual—all these things rank pitifully low in the lives of most people, even those who call themselves Christians and disciples.

We have four hours for a football game but no time for prayer. We find time for everything else and so little time for God and what matters to Him. We get so passionate about politics, sports, or what some silly television show has recently featured, but have little interest in the fact that so many souls are lost, that so many are deeply rooted in unrepentant sin, that so many don’t know why they were made, and that so many don’t know the Lord or His glorious Gospel. The slightest scare regarding our physical health sends us reeling; meanwhile our spiritual health goes so easily unattended.

Yes, what are we discussing; what are we thinking about as we make our journey? It is a crucial question. It says a lot about where our heart lies.

Do not miss this crucial question. What are you discussing; what are you thinking about on the way? Answer the Lord honestly and let Him go to work.

V. The Paradoxical Prescription – At the heart of the Lord’s crucial question is a diagnosis of our wrongful priorities and worldly thinking. The Lord then turns everything on its end and says, 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.”

In this particular gospel, their disordered thinking surrounds wrongful notions of importance, leadership, and greatness. The Lord directly addresses these wrongful notions by presenting this deeply paradoxical teaching. The paradox is that the greatest are not those who are served, but those who serve. The cleanup crew at the black-tie dinner get the Lord’s attention more so than those at the head table.

We tend to think of greatness in terms of how much money a person makes, how much authority he has, how much influence he has, or where he lives. None of these things matters at all to God. Yes, we are forever impressed by the rich and the famous, but God looks to the lowly, the poor, and especially to those who serve. A paradox is something that is contrary to the usual way of thinking. This teaching of the Lord’s is very paradoxical from any worldly perspective.

Yes, it is all very paradoxical; it puts to the lie all of our worldly obsessions. When we appear before Him someday, God will not care how much money we made (except the extent to which we were generous to the poor). He will not be impressed with the square footage of our home, the brand of our car, or how wide the plasma screen TV in our great room was. He certainly won’t care who our favorite sports hero was, what team we rooted for, or even if we were popular.

No, what will most impress Him is whether we served, whether we loved, and whether we knew Him and humbly sought to live His truth. He will not care whether we powerfully called the shots, but He will care whether we embraced His vision, lived His truth, and charitably cared for others by serving them in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Did we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, harbor the homeless, visit the sick, ransom the captives, and bury the dead? Did we comfort the afflicted? Did we instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, and pray for the living and the dead? Did we humbly submit to the Lord in our life by seeking to live chastely, to curb and control our anger, and to resist our greed?

The fundamental prescription for us is that we change the way we think. In short, God will want to know if we were rich in what matters to Him.

The greatest are those who serve, who have others in mind, who seek not their own glory and will but the glory and will of God and the goodness of others. This is greatness to God; everything else is foolishness to Him.

In the end, the question resounds, “What are you discussing; what are you thinking as you make your way through this life?” It is the crucial question. And only the Cross and its power can fix our foolishness. For too easily we are like the disciples, debating among ourselves about who’s the greatest; who’s the big cheese; who’s in charge; who gets to call the shots.

What are you discussing as you make your way? It’s a crucial question.

An old spiritual says, simply, “Fix me, Lord; fix me. Fix me for my long white robe. Fix me, Jesus; fix me. Fix me for my journey home. Fix me, Jesus; fix me.”

Sunday Gospel Reflections

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdom 2:12,17-20 II: James 3:16-4:3

Gospel
Mark 9:30-37

³⁰ They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it;
³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."
³² But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.
³³ And they came to Caper'na-um; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"
³⁴ But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest.
³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."
³⁶ And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them,
³⁷ "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

Interesting Details

For the second time, Jesus predicts his coming death and resurrection. "But they did not understand "(v. 32). Is this due to a lack of comprehension or a subconscious fear of suffering?
(v.34) The disciples sensed that their discussion of who was the greatest was improper and incorrect, yet they did it out of Jesus' earshot (or so they thought). What criterion could have been used by them in spite of Jesus' teaching?
(v.35) The other Gospels also highlight the teaching of Jesus regarding humble service, for example Luke 22:26. But most illustriously, John 13:1-20 has Jesus go down on his knees and wash his disciples' feet, to give them an example.
(v.37) A child, a symbolic description of the least noticed, heard, seen, respected face in a crowd ("the least of them") carries a dignity beyond appearance. It is the dignity of the presence of Jesus within him.

One Main Point

The time for His Passion is near. Jesus dedicates whatever time left to teach his apostles. He again predicts his death and resurrection. He instructs his students on the need for humility when serving each other. He raises the dignity of all those whom the apostles shall serve.

Reflections

Foretold that the path of discipleship is suffering, how fearful am I? What form of suffering am I most fearful of?
In my following Jesus, have I wanted to be first instead of last? What rewards do I look for in return for my service?
Who are "the children" in my eyes? Are they the uneducated, the poor immigrants who "drain our resources ," the immoral - low-in-spirit, the sinners, etc.? How do I recognize them in my midst? How do I receive them?

I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God Himself.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Mark
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Mark 9
30.	9:29 And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee, and he would not that any man should know it.	9:29 Et inde profecti prætergrediebantur Galilæam : nec volebat quemquam scire.	και εκειθεν εξελθοντες παρεπορευοντο δια της γαλιλαιας και ουκ ηθελεν ινα τις γνω
31.	9:30 And he taught his disciple, and said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.	9:30 Docebat autem discipulos suos, et dicebat illis : Quoniam Filius hominis tradetur in manus hominum, et occident eum, et occisus tertia die resurget.	εδιδασκεν γαρ τους μαθητας αυτου και ελεγεν αυτοις οτι ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας ανθρωπων και αποκτενουσιν αυτον και αποκτανθεις τη τριτη ημερα αναστησεται
32.	9:31 But they understood not the word, and they were afraid to ask him.	9:31 At illi ignorabant verbum : et timebant interrogare eum.	οι δε ηγνοουν το ρημα και εφοβουντο αυτον επερωτησαι
33.	9:32 And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he asked them: What did you treat of in the way?	9:32 Et venerunt Capharnaum. Qui cum domi essent, interrogabat eos : Quid in via tractabatis ?	και ηλθεν εις καπερναουμ και εν τη οικια γενομενος επηρωτα αυτους τι εν τη οδω προς εαυτους διελογιζεσθε
34.	9:33 But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest.	9:33 At illi tacebant : siquidem in via inter se disputaverunt : quis eorum major esset.	οι δε εσιωπων προς αλληλους γαρ διελεχθησαν εν τη οδω τις μειζων
35.	9:34 And sitting down, he called the twelve, and saith to them: If any man desire to be first, he shall be the last of all, and the minister of all.	9:34 Et residens vocavit duodecim, et ait illis : Si quis vult primus esse, erit omnium novissimus, et omnium minister.	και καθισας εφωνησεν τους δωδεκα και λεγει αυτοις ει τις θελει πρωτος ειναι εσται παντων εσχατος και παντων διακονος
36.	9:35 And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:	9:35 Et accipiens puerum, statuit eum in medio eorum : quem cum complexus esset, ait illis :	και λαβων παιδιον εστησεν αυτο εν μεσω αυτων και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτο ειπεν αυτοις
37.	9:36 Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.	9:36 Quisquis unum ex hujusmodi pueris receperit in nomine meo, me recipit : et quicumque me susceperit, non me suscipit, sed eum qui misit me.	ος εαν εν των τοιουτων παιδιων δεξηται επι τω ονοματι μου εμε δεχεται και ος εαν εμε δεξηται ουκ εμε δεχεται αλλα τον αποστειλαντα με

30. And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31. For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
32. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33. And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?
34. But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
35. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
36. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them,
37. Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me: and whoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me.

THEOPHYL. It is after miracles that the Lord inserts a discourse concerning His Passion, lest it should be thought that He suffered because He could not help it; wherefore it is said, And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee: and he would not that any man should know it.

For he taught his disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him.

BEDE; He always mingles together sorrowful and joyful things, that sorrow should not by its suddenness frighten the Apostles, but be borne by them with prepared minds.

THEOPHYL. After, however, saying what was sorrowful, He adds what ought to rejoice them; wherefore it goes on: And after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day; in order that we may learn that joys come on after struggles. There follows: But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

BEDE; This ignorance of the disciples proceeds not so much from slowness of intellect, as from love for the Savior, for they were as yet carnal, and ignorant of the mystery of the cross, they could not therefore believe that He whom they had recognized as the true God, was about to die; being accustomed then to hear Him often talk in figures, and shrinking from the event of His death, they would have it, that something was conveyed figuratively in those things, which he spoke openly concerning His betrayal and passion. It goes on: And he came to Capernaum.

PSEUDO-JEROME; Capernaum means the city of consolation, and agrees with the former sentence, which He had spoken: And after that he is killed, he shall arise the third day. There follows: And being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?

But they held their peace.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. Matthew however says, that the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The reason is, that he did not begin the narrative from its commencement, but omitted our Savior's knowledge of the thoughts and words of His disciples; unless we understand Him to mean, that even what they thought and said, when away from Christ, was said to Him, since it was as well known to Him as if it had been said to Him. It goes on: For by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. But Luke says, that "the thought entered into the disciples which of them should be the greatest"; for the Lord laid open their thought and intention from their private discourse, according to the Gospel narrative.

PSEUDO-JEROME; It was fit also that they should dispute concerning the chief place by the way the dispute is like the place where it is held; for lofty station is only entered upon to be quitted: as long as a man keeps it, it is slippery, and it is uncertain at what stage, that is, on what day it will end.

BEDE, The reason why the dispute concerning the chief place arose amongst the disciples seems to have been, that Peter, James, and John, were led apart from the rest into the mountain, and that something secret was there entrusted to them, also that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were promised to Peter, according to Matthew. Seeing however the thoughts of the disciples, the Lord takes care to heal the desire of glory by humility; for He first, by simply commanding humility, admonishes them that a high station was not to be aimed at. Wherefore it goes on: And he sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

JEROME; Where it is to be observed, that the disciples disputed by the way concerning the chief place, but Christ Himself sat down to teach humility; for princes toil while the humble repose.

PSEUDO-CHRYS. The disciples indeed wished to receive honor at the hands of the Lord; they also had a desire to be made great by Christ, for the greater a man is, the more worthy of honor he becomes, for which reason He did not throw an obstacle in the way of that desire, but brought in humility.

THEOPHYL. For His wish is not that we should usurp for ourselves chief places, but that we should attain to lofty heights by lowliness. He next admonishes them by the example of a child's innocence; wherefore there follows: And he took a child, and set him inn the midst of them.

CHRYS. By this very sight, persuading them to humility and simplicity; for this little one was pure from envy and vain glory, and from a desire of superiority. But He does not only say, If you become such, you shall receive a great reward, but also, if you will honor others, who are such for my sake. Wherefore there follows: And when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, Whoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me.

BEDE; By which, He either simply shows, that those who would become greater must receive the poor of Christ in honor of Him, or He would persuade them to be in malice children, to keep simplicity without arrogance, charity without envy, devotedness without anger. Again, by taking the child into His arms, He implies that the lowly are worthy of His embrace and love. He adds also, In my name, that they might, with the fixed purpose of reason, follow for His names sake that mold of virtue to which the child keeps, with nature for his guide. And because He taught that He Himself was received in children, lest it should be thought that there was nothing in Him but what was seen, he added, And whoever shall receive me, receive not me, but Him that sent me; thus wishing, that we should believe Him to be of the same nature and of equal greatness with His Father.

THEOPHYL. See, how great is humility, for it wins for itself the indwelling of the Father, and of the Son, and also of the Holy Ghost.

Catena Aurea Mark 9

Christ in Majesty with the Twelve Apostles
Laudario of the Compagnia di Sant'Agnese

Pacino di Bonaguida

1320s
Tempera and gold on parchment, 277 x 206 mm
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and Saint Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr and Their Companions, Martrys

Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon,
Priest & Martyr
&
Saint Paul Chong Ha-sang,
Martyr
& Their Companions, Martrys
Memorial
September 20th

Collect:
O God, who have been pleased to increase
your adopted children in all the world,
and who made the blood of the Martyrs
Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon and his companions
a most fruitful seed of Christians,
grant that we may be defended by their help
and profit always from their example.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Wisdom 3:1-9
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.

They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

or Romans 8:31b-39

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:23-26
Jesus said to all, "If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Saints' Days are superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

St Andrew Kim Taegon and the glorious, immortal martyrs of Korea
St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Paul Chong Hasang, Korean Martyrs

Information: St. Andrew Kim Taegon

Feast Day: September 20

Born: August 21, 1821

Died: September 16, 1846

Canonized: 6 May 1984 by Pope John Paul II

Major Shrine: Chŏltusan (Martyr's Mound), Seoul, South Korea

Patron of: Korean Clergy

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. Andrew Kim Taegon and St. Paul Chong Hasang

Feast Day: September 20
Born: (around) 1800 :: Died: 1846

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was born in Korea and came from a very noble family.

Christianity reached Korea in the seventeenth century and was brought there by lay people. The believers became strong in their faith by reading and listening to the Word of God and began to grow in number.

Andrew's parents who were earlier non-Christians converted and became Christians. Andrew was baptized when he was 15 years old and soon after, his father died as a martyr for the faith.

Missionary priests came from France and the Korean people began to receive the sacraments of the Church. Andrew traveled about 1,300 miles to Macao, which had the nearest seminary so he could study to become a priest.

The Government did not want Christianity to spread and began to trouble and torture the Christians.

A total of 113 Koreans & missionaries were killed between 1839 and 1867. St. Andrew was the first Korean to become a priest and first priest to die for the faith in Korea just a year after his ordination. That made him the leader of the Martyrs of Korea.

St. Paul Chong Hasang another Korean Catholic was a layperson and Catechist who also courageously died for the love for Christ.

These two martyrs gloriously represent the 113 Catholics who died for their faith in Korea. They were proclaimed saints by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Korea in 1984.

Today the Church is growing fast in Korea. The gift of faith is being received because of the sacrifice of the martyrs who showed them the way.

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, September 20

Liturgical Color: Red

Today is the Memorial of St. Andrew Kim
Taegon, priest and martyr, St. Paul Chong
Hasang, martyr, and their companions.
They are among the 103 Martyrs of
Korea, killed in Korea from 1839-1867,
because of their Catholic faith.

Day 263 - Scott Hahn on the Gospel of John - Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus // Rivers of Living Water
Today’s Reading: John 7:32-39
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd thus muttering about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I shall be with you a little longer, and then I go to him who sent me; 34 you will seek me and you will not find me; where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we shall not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, Where I am you cannot come’?”

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”
39 Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Today’s Commentary:
come to me and drink: Jesus is the source of the spiritual “water” (4:10) that quenches our deepest “thirst” (6:35). The symbolic meaning of this is that Christ is the source of the Spirit poured out upon the world (7:39; 20:22). Jesus is probably alluding to the water-drawing ceremony of the feast, thus inviting us to think of him as the heavenly counterpart to the pool of Siloam.

not yet glorified: i.e., through his Passion and Resurrection (12:23; 17:1). Only then will the Spirit be poured out through the risen humanity of Christ (20:22).

Move to: Previous Day | Next Day

Ordinary Time: September 20th

Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Daily Readings for: September 20, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law upon love of you and of our neighbor, grant that, by keeping your precepts, we may merit to attain eternal life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

Saucy Summer's End Cookout

ACTIVITIES

On how our Work is Love, and how we can work with Christ to save Souls with our Love

PRAYERS

LIBRARY

Old Calendar: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me (Mark 9:34-37)."

Today is the feast of St. Andrew Kim and Companions which is superseded by the Sunday Liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of Wisdom 2:12, 17-20. Against the background of Egyptian worship of animals and mockery of Jewish trust in God, the author devotes much of chapters 1 - 5 to the ineffectiveness of such mockery when God has promised immortality to those who remain faithful.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. James 3:16, 4:3. "Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask." In this reading St. James tells us to recognize the source of our disagreements.

The Gospel is from St. Mark 9:30-37. The Apostles were still very worldly-minded. They were full of the hope that Christ would establish an earthly messianic kingdom, that he would not only free their holy land from the hated pagan rulers but that he would set up a worldwide empire for the people of God. Many of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament spoke of a worldwide kingdom; all nations would submit to the descendant of David; Jerusalem would be the magnet which would attract all peoples. The prophets, however, were speaking of the true messianic kingdom, the spiritual kingdom that Christ would establish. The Apostles were as yet unable to see the true meaning of these prophecies. They took them as referring to a worldly kingdom. They had come to believe that Christ was the promised Messiah, therefore, he would overcome all enemies and all opposition and set up this kingdom. How, therefore, could his enemies overpower him much less put him to death before he had accomplished his task? Thus they refused to believe his prophecies concerning his coming tortures and death.

Now, either in trying to understand what he had so plainly told them, or maybe in putting this disturbing thought far from their minds, they began disputing with one another as to which of them would have the highest post of honor in the earthly messianic kingdom which they had envisaged. How worldly but how human they were! We must not forget though, that they were not yet really Christians — they needed the death and resurrection of Christ to make them what they became — His true followers and loyal disciples.

There was in the unformed Apostles a desire to turn Christ's kingdom into an earthly welfare state, rather than into a preparation for heaven. All Christians know that Christ suffered and died for their salvation, and that he asked his followers to take up their cross and follow him if they wished to be his disciples. The first generations of Christians fully understood this and faithfully followed him even to martyrdom. However, as time went on and opposition to the Christian faith disappeared, so too did the zeal and fervor of many Christians. For centuries we have had nominal Christians in Christ's Church -- men and women who tried to make their paradise in this world, and forgot the everlasting heaven.

Our own age has seen an unprecedented increase in this falling away of Christians. Leaving aside the parts of Europe which are professedly atheist -- but where in spite of the leaders there are many sincere and devout Christians -- the number of lapsed and nominal Christians in the other Western countries is frightening. These non-practicing Christians, unwilling to carry their crosses, have decided to make this earth their paradise. They want prosperity, comfort and happiness in this world. The vast majority of them, of course, refuse to look to the future; it could be an unpleasant thought, yet they must see that in every town and village there is a mortician, an undertaker who makes a good living disposing of human "remains." Die they must; "and what then?" should be a question which overshadows their lives.

Many of these people who in practice have abandoned Christianity, try to salve their consciences by devoting any time they can spare to making this planet a better place in which to live. It is an excellent aim with a possibility of success — if the Fatherhood of God and the true brotherhood of man are upheld. But otherwise its a vain Utopia. If God, and Christ's teaching are left out of our reckoning, we shall ever have jealousies, enmities, hatred and wars. Christians have made war on Christians because neither side in the struggle was truly Christian. What chance then has the world when Christ and Christianity are banished from it?

Today's thought for each one of us is this: Christ became man, suffered and died as man, for our sakes. By his resurrection He conquered death and opened heaven for us. Heaven is our true destiny. Loving God and our neighbor and carrying our cross is the only way to reach heaven. Forget this "heaven on earth" doctrine; it does not and never will exist! Accept Christ and you are accepting the Father who sent Him. He in turn will accept you.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Meditation: James 3:16–4:3

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Where do the conflicts among you come from? (James 4:1)

Our minds have the capacity to do amazing things. They can imagine, memorize, reason, and choose. We use them to solve complex problems, to imagine new possibilities, and to enjoy the beauty of a sunrise. What an awesome gift!

But Scripture tells us that, because of sin, our minds also have a dark side. And sometimes, that dark side causes us to say and do hurtful things. Today’s first reading, for instance, talks about a war in our minds between darker elements like jealousy or selfish ambition and lighter elements like purity and mercy.

Today’s Gospel has a similar theme. It tells how the apostles were fighting about which one of them was the greatest. You can just hear Peter, saying, “Jesus told me I was the rock,” while John replies, “But Jesus called me the beloved apostle,” and Andrew says, “Don’t forget, I was the first apostle. I’ve been with him the longest.” It can sound a bit silly, but we, too, do this kind of thing, and this is the kind of thing James is talking about.

The problem, James tells us, is that we have a tendency to let our minds roam wherever they want to go. If we don’t keep a watch on them, they can wander into the darker areas of our hearts and begin conjuring all kinds of self-centered thoughts.

So here is a little plan to help you keep watch on your mind. Step One is to fill it with thoughts about the Lord every morning and at regular points throughout the day. Step Two is … well, there is no Step Two. Jesus is all we need!

Filling your mind with Jesus—through the sacraments, prayer, hymns, or Scripture—will dramatically affect the way you think and act. So be disciplined. Spend at least fifteen minutes exclusively with the Lord every morning. Then stop periodically during the day to turn back to the Lord. You will see those darkside drives to sin melt away.

“Jesus, help me say no to every temptation to sin.”

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-6, 8
Mark 9:30-37

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:

Mass Readings:
1st Reading: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Responsorial: Psalm 54:3-6, 8
2nd Reading: James 3:16–4:3
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

1. The first reading, in many ways, is a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus’ rejection by his own people, and ultimately his passion and death. The reading speaks of the human tendency to attack and to reject those who “set themselves against our doings.” It also speaks of Jesus’ patience and gentleness, which we are called to emulate. What is your reaction when you have been accused unjustly or treated unfairly? What about when you are stopped for speeding or your work is criticized? How well does it emulate Jesus?

2. In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist, in response to the attacks of his enemies, cries out to God in prayer with these words: “O God, by your name save me. By your strength defend my cause. O God, hear my prayer. Listen to the words of my mouth.” Why is it important to turn to God in prayer as the first reaction to difficult situations?

3. The psalmist ends his petitions with these words of faith and trust, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life. Freely will I offer sacrifice; I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness.” Why is this an appropriate way to end a time of prayer and supplication to the Lord? Do you end you own times of prayer with thanksgiving and praise to the Lord? Should you?

4. In the second reading, St. James contrasts the disorder, which is often part of our human lives, with the “wisdom from above,” which is pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant, and full of mercy and good fruits. Why is there such a difference between the “wisdom” that comes from God and the jealousy, selfish ambition, wars, and conflicts that come from our fallen nature? What examples are there from your own life when you have seen victory over jealousy, envy, and selfish ambition by turning to “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24)?

5. In the Gospel, Jesus takes his disciples off privately for an important and personal message. He tells them he is to be killed, but he will rise from the dead. Amazingly, rather than trying to understand what Jesus has told them, they are more concerned about which one of them is the greatest. Why does self-absorption tend to make us less attentive to what Christ may be telling us? What steps can you take to be more attentive to Jesus’ words?

6. Jesus also turns the “natural order” on its head in the Gospel with these words: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” What do these words mean to you? What are some ways that you can be a better servant to your family or to others in your parish?

7. The meditation ends with these words: “Filling your mind with Jesus—through the sacraments, prayer, hymns, or Scripture—will dramatically affect the way you think and act. So be disciplined. Spend at least fifteen minutes exclusively with the Lord every morning. Then stop periodically during the day to turn back to the Lord. You will see those dark side drives to sin melt away.” What steps can you take to open yourself to Jesus presence each day in prayer, and during the day—to allow him to transform you more and more into his likeness?

8. Take some time now to pray and ask the Lord for the grace to say no to sin, and to temptations to sin. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

A Christian Pilgrim

TO BE FIRST, ONE MUST BE LAST OF ALL AND SERVANT OF ALL

(A biblical refection on THE 25^th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [YEAR B] – 20 September, 2015)

Gospel Reading: Mark 9:30-37

First Reading: Wisdom 2:12,17-20; Psalms: Psalm 54:3-6,8; Second Reading: James 3:16-4:3

The Scripture Text

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And He would not have any one know it; for He was teaching His disciples, saying to them. “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask Him.

And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house He asked them,
What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And He sat down and called the twelve; and He said to them, “If any one would be first, He must be last of all and servant of all.” And He took a child, and put Him in the midst of them; and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent me.” (Mark 9:30-37)

Sometimes we are just plain too grown-up. Certainly we all need to mature in the world, yet at the same time Jesus exhorts us to become more childlike. In today’s reading, for instance, Jesus speaks of the blessings of receiving a child to His name. In other parts of Scripture He speaks of becoming like little children. Evidently, not only do children learn to be good Christians by our example, but we too can learn a lot by watching little children.

At the beginning of this passage, the apostles are discussing among themselves who among them was the greatest. Rather than acting childlike and innocent, they were self-seeking and childish, or playing a spiritual version of “king of the hill”.

The root of the apostles’ actions was pride, and the cure – as always – was humility. And Jesus showed the way to that humility by stating: “If any one would be first, He must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). The goal of the Christian life is not to seek the superior place among the prestigious, but to treasure the lowest place among the poor, the lonely, and the sick. It’s not a call to greatness, but to goodness, a summons to wash the feet of others in our concern and compassion for them.

In biblical Greek, the word for servant is diakonos, a word that is at the root of our English word deacon. In the New Testament, this word has different layers of meaning: from waiting a table to preaching the Gospel (Acts 6:2-4). Whatever the situation, Jesus often spoke of serving other people and linked this service to the love of God. He taught that whenever we serve other people, we are really serving Him (Matthew 25:40). Over and over again, Jesus stressed service over authority to the degree that in His eyes, anyone who had any authority in the Church had to be a servant, not a ruler (Luke 22:25-27).

God calls all of us to a life of service that seeks only the growth of His Kingdom. And the best part of this calling is that at every moment, He is with us, serving us through countless acts of love, encouragement, and mercy.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, make my heart like Yours. Mold it so that I might find joy in serving others, just as You take great joy in caring for me. Amen.

Marriage = One Man amd One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for September 20, 2015:

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.” (Mk 9:37) Your children are God’s gift to you, and loving them is a way to serve the Lord. Receive them into your marriage and show them Christ’s love.

So You Want to be First?

Pastor’s Column

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 20, 2015

“Jesus began to ask them, what were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent.

For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.”

from Mark 9:30-37

This discussion that the disciples are having among themselves as to who is the greatest reminded me of my ten years working in the airline industry before entering the seminary. During that time, I, like many others, went from a difficult-to-get part-time, temporary entry-level position (which I intensely disliked after it started!), eventually to an excellent, full-time job that I loved. And along the way I was blessed with the experience of many different supervisors: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see which supervisors were effective and which were not; which ones won our loyalty and admiration and which did not; which were true leaders and inspired us to work harder, and which produced only minimal effort from their charges. The best supervisors during those years, in my experience, were in a sense, servants, not lording their position over us or constantly reminding us “who the boss is.” They didn’t make unreasonable demands; they weren’t perceived as “climbers” who stepped on us or whipped us in an attempt to make themselves look good or to inspire fear as a motivating factor. Instead, the effective supervisors genuinely appeared to care about those they were in charge of; they worked hard and inspired us by a good example; they combined tough actions with mercy and fairness when required; they had a sense of humor; they let us know that they trusted us unless proven otherwise. One type inspired hard work; the other resentment.

While attending an airline employee reunion in Los Angeles two years ago, it was interesting to notice which of these “bosses” everyone remembered with fondness, while others were not mentioned at all! It was very enlightening. We can, in turn, ask ourselves, “What are the fruits of my life? What will people remember me for in my work and life? Am I a servant? Do people know I care about them? What does the Lord think of my efforts?”

The disciples in this Sunday’s gospel (Mark 9:30-37) exhibit the normal human proclivity to want to be highest in the pecking order within the “company” that they work for, that is, Jesus’ inner circle. Jesus does not discourage this! He makes it clear on many occasions in Scripture that we are to believe in him and to strive for a high place in heaven, while scrupulously avoiding choices that lead to hell. To please the boss and get ahead, it would help to know what he is looking for. Above all, those who work for Jesus (all of us!) will get “ahead” precisely to the extent that we have the heart and actions of a servant. This characteristic is especially evident when we look at the life of Pope Francis, one of whose titles is “Servant of the Servants of God.” One look at his intense U.S. schedule shows where his heart is, and this inspires loyalty. In the same way, whether we are a supervisor (within our family or at work) or not, we are all working for the Lord, who promises to promote us based on how much we can be good servants now.

Father Gary