Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.”
The greatness of serving
1. To know. It’s important to be prudent in life and to know when to say things and how to say them. In these times when everyone talks about everything, and when it seems that commenting lightly has no repercussions, it’s important to emphasize that there are things that one should know how to keep quiet and say them at the right time. Don’t let anger and bitterness be the motivators of your words, but rather, let prudence and a positive contribution to the life of others be what motivates you to act at the right time.
2. Questions. There are times when we escape questions because we’re afraid of the answers, but there are questions that we need to ask, and we must also ask ourselves certain questions. Questions lead you to seek answers for your life, to seek solid foundation of your way of living. The key is to be clear with yourself and for that you need to ask the right questions and get the necessary answers.
3. The greatest. When your identity is linked to action, the only thing that motivates you to live may be a position, a job. There are times when people say to me, “You are a priest”, and I answer, “No, I am Luis who chose the priesthood”. Because when your identity is solely linked to what you do, if at a point in time you give up that activity, you might believe that you are worth nothing. If, for example, in the future, I abandon the priesthood, I might believe that I am nothing, and yes, I am, I am Luis, son of God. That’s why we grown-ups shouldn’t keep asking children what they want to be when they grow up, because we might be conditioning their identity, and we might cause frustration. When what you do completely defines who you are, the only thing that can nourish and enhance your life is power. That’s why we see many priests, nuns, politicians and employees whose only motivation is reaching a high position because that’s the only way they will feel fulfilled in life. Once, a priest who is a friend of mine, Amadeo, said to me, “when you become a parish priest you’ll understand your true path and your priesthood will make you happy”. Over the years I’ve understood that many times being is confused with doing and that a title or a position doesn’t make me happy. Offices and positions are for service, not for prestige.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
