Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- The Honored Ego

Friends, today in our Gospel, the mother of James and John asks Jesus on their behalf for high places of authority in his kingdom.
Ah, there is the voice of ambition. Some people don’t care at all about money or power or pleasure—but they care passionately about honor.
A lot of people can identify with James and John. They want to go places, they want to be movers and shakers in society.
Perhaps a number of people reading this reflection are filled with these emotions.

But Jesus turns the tables on them: “You do not know what you are asking.”
He is indeed a King, and he will indeed rule Israel, but his crown will be made of thorns,
and his throne will be a Roman instrument of torture.

And so he tries to clarify: “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
The key to honor in the kingdom of God is to drink the cup of suffering, to be willing to suffer out of love, It is not about aggrandizing the ego but emptying it out

+++As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside
by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed
over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of
Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask
him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at
your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am
going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has
been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But 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;
whoever wishes to be first among you
shall be your slave.
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.”+++

...Barron...?

Of “dare we hope” fame?

He of the “privileged route”?

By the way, his excellency...🥴...is now “Bishop”. You can drop the “Auxiliary” from his title.

By the way, do you have a copy of the Douay Rheims version of the Bible from which to quote scripture?

As you may know, the Douay Rheims, translated directly from Saint Jerome’s Latin Vulgate, is the only English language translation of the Holy Bible to have received formal approval by the Holy See.

Don't get me started.

I'm a RSVCE preferred, and the Douay is the best, albeit not as easy.
I have a copyright 1917 DR that I cherish.
Unfortunately the USCCB goes with the NABRE so that's what I have to post. At least it's not the horrid NIV people read.

The Bishop is in fact an AUX. Bishop... as he has no diocese that he manages and is dedicated to a mission of Evangelism.

While he is despised by many, he will continue to bring Catholics back to the Eucharist and Mass, in his outreach efforts to strengthen the Church.
His daily reflections are always informative and thought provoking along the lines of showing how to apply one's Catholic faith.

Rarely does one find anything to quibble about in his application of intellect and Catholic faith in his Gospel Reflections.
Did you see any error in what he had wrote for today?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.