Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 20,17-28

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 him 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 cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”
He replied, “My cup 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.”

Accept the cross but not the power

1) Going up to Jerusalem. This implies going towards the place where we will be redeemed. It entails envisioning the place where you will be fulfilled as a person. Your Jerusalem may be the place that you know is tough… but it is your place. Jerusalem may be your home, your workplace, your parish, a place of daily struggle…

2) What do you wish? Today Jesus asks you what you need. What do you expect from God? What do you need in your life to fulfill your potential? The problem is that many times we think we only need power or money to fully succeed as individuals… but power and money do not get you to heaven! You don’t seek God just to have an advantage. You may think you are close to Jesus, but perhaps you are not interested in Him. Don’t use Jesus to gain personal prestige, that is not the true path.

3) To serve. Today, Jesus reminds you again that you are called to serve. Your life must be one of constant service. You are here to serve others. You shouldn’t constantly seek more powerful positions. There are people who are enslaved by power, thinking that it will make them feel great, but deep down they are losing their dignity. This leads to the absence of direction in their lives. Be careful! Money and power are tempting; it is easy to get in but very complicated to get out! The key is to acknowledge the temptation and recognize the danger.

God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Always remember that Heaven is our goal!