Sept 20th, ‘15 Sunday
Homily:
Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI
Wis. 2:12, 17-20;
James 3:16--4:3; Mk 9:30-37
For Readings
On March 3, 1976, conferring on Mother Teresa the highest honor
of India’s Vishwa Bharati University, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, 9th of the
Most Powerful Women of the Past Century, who
was at that time prime minister of India, said: “I feel myself dwarfed when I
stand before this holy and mighty woman who heroically showed the world how to
practice Christian love in sacrificial and humble service.” Mother Teresa was a
living proof of Jesus' words in today’s gospel that real greatness lies in
serving others with humility.
Today’s readings invite us to become great in the sight of God by doing God’s will, surrendering
our lives in the service of others. The passage from the Book of Wisdom urges
us to choose the path of righteousness in spite of painful consequences. In the
second reading James warns us that selfish ambitions destroy peace. He advises
us to choose the path of righteousness and humble service which leads to
lasting peace. Jesus, in today’s gospel, teaches us that child-like humility and
selfless service make one great in the eyes of God.
Ambition to be above others and sometimes even by means of
undesirable behavior is found throughout the history starting from the
beginning. The Creation story presents an effort of Adam and Eve who tried to
become like God, their Creator. Many times the ambition to be above others
surfaces equally in secular as well as religious realm. The Apostles were not
an exception. They too pondered the desires of the earthly kingdom to be
established by Jesus and gaining higher positions. Everyone who thinks of himself
or herself in terms of earthly values and gains, will try to place his/her
position above the other by all means. Here, the disciples were doing the same
though Jesus, the Son of God placed himself as their servant and was setting an
example of humble service. So Jesus explained the meaning of ‘true greatness.’
Jesus came to establish His kingdom not on positions of
earthly greatness, but heavenly love and sacrificial humble service. With
Jesus, heaven came to earth. It was the highest form of a humble act shown by
God. Heaven came to earth not to receive honor, but to give the honor, to help
man to regain the honor he lost of disobedience.
Jesus became incarnated, suffered, died and was resurrected
to give us the heavenly kingdom as our eternal home, once we complete this
short earthly journey. He wanted his disciples to follow the path of
sacrificial love and service and to pass it to the next generations. In Jesus’
work-plan, there is no room for ambition, for power, but serving. So He made it
very clear that, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and
the servant of all”. In his service rule, all are equal, and poor and the weak
deserve preference, while everyone has to considered, their role is to serve,
and not to be served. It is natural for man to have the ambition to rule, to be
above somebody. This is the earthly ambition.
Jesus wants his followers to substitute their ambition to
rule, thus becoming the first, with the ambition to serve thus becoming the
last. Ambition to serve, does not seek power, but power will go after them to
enable them to serve. But man’s selfish nature makes him strive to rule over
others. So we may find people serving with ambition and people serving with
love. We are all supposed to be serving, whatever our position or role in
society maybe or in our families or in the Church, because true greatness lies
in being the servant of all. We should be also free from the vice of serving to
become great.
Every work-plan starts with a goal. Jesus’ work plan of
salvation also started with the goal. The goal was ‘Kingdom of God for all’.
The method he chose and made for his followers is sacrificial love. Without an
appropriate means one can’t reach a goal. Unless we follow the path Jesus showed
us, we will not reach the "Kingdom of God." So He told his disciples
openly with self-explanatory words, that unless they consider others as an
image of God and sees greatness in them, especially the poor and weaker ones,
and serve them, they will not find greatness before God. Jesus stopped at the
blind person, touched the leper, sat and ate with the sinners, preached and healed
the sick without even a rest, praised the might of a widow, prepared breakfast
for his tired disciples, tolerated and forgave his disciples’ repeated mistakes
every time, washed their feet, suffered torture, pain, humiliation and
crucifixion for the sake of the human race. Our God is not only the All-mighty
and the Powerful, but He is also a humble servant.
How
do we consider our role in the Church and society? Before heavenly greatness,
earthly greatness will feel dwarfed. Let us pray for grace, to be the people
who ‘serve with love’. As Blessed Mother Teresa puts
it: “The fruit of Silence is Prayer. The fruit of Prayer is Faith. The fruit of
Faith is Love. The fruit of Love is Service. And the fruit of Service is
Peace.” God bless you.
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