Isaiah 53:10-11 / Hebrews 4:14-16 / Mark 10:35-45

Brothers and sisters, today we begin the twenty-ninth week of Ordinary Time with the entire Church. 

Power is the main subject in this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word. 

Human beings have a great thirst for power. Unfortunately, power is seen as obtaining privileges and being served by others. 

This mentality also existed at the time when Jesus lived. We saw in today's Gospel how the brothers James and John were interested in power. The two went so far as to talk to Jesus without the other 10 apostles knowing. 

Jesus knew that James and John would accept death in the future rather than deny their Christian faith. But that would not make them better apostles than the others. 

It did not take long for the other 10 apostles to learn of the attitudes of the brothers James and John. The fraternity was shaken. But Jesus, with wisdom, restored peace in the group. 

Jesus knew how power was sought and exercised in the society of his time. He spoke about this, telling the apostles that they should not imitate the powerful of this world. They should imitate Jesus, who understood and exercised power as humble service to others. 

The idea that the promised Messiah would be a kind of new David was widespread among the Jews, that is, that he would have humble origins and would later become a great religious and military leader, and that he would expel foreign rulers. The apostles and disciples expected Jesus to be this kind of Messiah. 

However, Jesus' messianism was inspired by the prophecy of Isaiah - today's first reading. In other words, the Kingdom of God would be established through the redemptive suffering of the Servant of the Lord, without the use of force or violence. 

The Messiah Jesus, being the greatest and the first, became the servant and slave of all, giving his life as a ransom for many. 

The power of Christ is precisely a religious and spiritual service, with a view to the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. As today's second reading says, Jesus is the high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Thanks to Jesus, we can approach God with complete confidence, in the certainty of obtaining forgiveness for our sins. 

Let us value the sacrament of Penance, through which Jesus, through the Church, continues to forgive our mortal sins and absolve us. 

We are invited to carry out our apostolate in the Church - not with the mentality of the world about the power - but with the mentality of Jesus, making of the power a humble service to others.

Local: Springfield, MA, EUA

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