20/09/2015
25th Sunday of the Church Year Jesus Blessing the Children
Saint for the day: Vincent de Paul (1580?-1660)
Scripture Readings for today's Liturgy:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54
James 3:16 -4:3
Mark 9:30-37
“Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess.You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:3)
The quote above from today’s second reading could be a commentary on any number of worldwide conflicts that are going on. And it’s a sad commentary on what’s happening in almost every corner of our world. In some way I am thrust back to that familiar saying. “… there is nothing new under the sun!” (Ecclesiastes 1:10) But today's Holy Gospel tell us, "Unless you become like little children you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!"
How sad that we don’t seem to have learned anything from past history or from these scripture readings that we are hearing today. The letter of James which was our second scripture reading for today’s liturgy is a wonderful lesson for all of us to take to heart. It’s not long – only 5 chapters – and well worth spending some time reflecting on. When we ask why God doesn’t do something about all the wars and conflicts going on around our world the answer is perhaps in this letter. ‘You ask but do not receive,because you ask wrongly…” So where do we find the right way to ask? Our answer might be found in this Gospel which we hear today where Jesus tells his disciples that they cannot seek to be first if they want to be his followers. I remember an old story of two men who each claimed that they had the world’s slowest mule. A race was set to determine which mule was indeed the slowest. The men got on their mules but the real test came when the judge asked the men to switch to the other’s mule. That’s how they determined which was indeed the slowest. This might be a corollary on anther adage, “don’t criticize someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
Just think about what our world would be like if everyone tried to be servant of all rather than trying to stomp their way to the top?
Well, I know that I can’t change the entire world by my isolated actions but I have to believe that my lighting just one more candle I might begin to make the world a brighter place. I often tell folks, “Don’t worry about trying to end world violence. Just try to be nice to that jerk that cut you off in the checkout line at the supermarket. That’s where change really begins. I believe it was St. Therese who said, “Stooping to pick up a pin on the floor can save a soul.” I’ve made my own corollary to that which I call , Wastebasket Spirituality. ”Don’t tell me you aspire to be a saint if when you toss a scrap of paper into the wastebasket – and miss – you don’t go over and pick it up.” Just think what this would mean if people applied this to all their actions around the world? It could be the beginning of a new way of life. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:36)
Amen!
