Serve and receive

Listening to the Spirit

You have called me by name
(Joseph Tetlow, S.J.)

Oh, Lord my God,
You called me from the sleep of nothingness
merely because in your tremendous love
you want to make good and beautiful beings.
You have called me by my name in my mother’s womb.
You have given me breath and light
and movement and walked with me every moment of my existence.
I am amazed, Lord God of the universe,
that you attend to me and, more, cherish me.
Create in me the faithfulness that moves you,
and I will trust you and yearn for you all my days.

Amen

Listening to the Word

Mark 9: 30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “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.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 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.”

Reflection

When I was on my way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last week I saw some personalities started having some big billboards for May 2022 National and Local election. We are still in the middle of a pandemic but the concern of some traditional politicians is already in the election. I remember one Filipino adage that says “Hindi pa lumalamig ang bangkay ng magulang, nag aaway away na ang mga anak sa mana”. The easy and fast translation of this saying is “the parents are still alive but their children are already discussing the inheritance”. Like what happens to our gospel this Sunday. The disciples were arguing who is the greatest among them after Jesus was 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.” Jesus was talking about his mission and his disciples were discussing the one who is going to take over after the death of Jesus. And that “blessed” one is the greatest among them. They are coveting the position of Jesus. Who will be the next Rabbi? Who will be the next “Idol Master” among them?

Jesus who is the best formator of all makes good use of this moment to form, inform and transform the selfish mentality of the disciples. Jesus reminded them that the greatest of them is the one who serves and receives the least, lost, and the last of the society which is represented by a child. The world pushes us to seek power, popularity, and wealth but Jesus asked us to be a servant who cares and loves his people. While people are coveting for more goods, for more positions, for more titles Jesus asking his disciples and us to receive the child. Four times he uttered the word receive to make a point, a strong point. I believe when we receive somebody to our life the walls of selfishness, competition (who is the greatest), and manipulation (considering people as somebody to be possessed) are little by little collapsing.

These two words Serve and Receive can be our takeaways for this 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our concern now is how to be a servant in this time of pandemic where the majority of Filipinos are affected because of the Covid 19. If an individual is already thinking about the May 2022 election, that person has no delicadeza. This pandemic gives us a picture of what a good leader is. A SERVANT.