Daily Readings - Sun Sep 23 2018

¹²Therefore, let us encircle the just, because he is useless to us, and he is against our works, and he reproaches us with our legal offenses, and makes known to us the sins of our way of life¹⁷Let us see, then, if his words are true, and let us test what will happen to him, and then we will know what his end will be¹⁸For if he is the true son of God, he will receive him and deliver him from the hands of his adversaries¹⁹Let us examine him with insult and torture, that we may know his reverence and try his patience²⁰Let us condemn him to a most shameful death, for, according to his own words, God will care for him.

James

Chapter 3

¹⁶For wherever envy and contention is, there too is inconstancy and every depraved work¹⁷But within the wisdom that is from above, certainly, chastity is first, and next peacefulness, meekness, openness, consenting to what is good, a plenitude of mercy and good fruits, not judging, without falseness¹⁸And so the fruit of justice is sown in peace by those who make peace

Chapter 4

¹Where do wars and contentions among you come from? Is it not from this: from your own desires, which battle within your members²You desire, and you do not have. You envy and you kill, and you are unable to obtain. You argue and you fight, and you do not have, because you do not ask³You ask and you do not receive, because you ask badly, so that you may use it toward your own desires

Mark

Chapter 9

³⁰And setting out from there, they passed through Galilee. And he intended that no one know about it³¹Then he taught his disciples, and he said to them, "For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and having been killed, on the third day he will rise again.³²But they did not understand the word. And they were afraid to question him³³And they went to Capernaum. And when they were in the house, he questioned them, "What did you discuss on the way?³⁴But they were silent. For indeed, on the way, they had disputed among themselves as to which of them was greater³⁵And sitting down, he called the twelve, and he said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be the last of all and the minister of all.³⁶And taking a child, he set him in their midst. And when he had embraced him, he said to them³⁷"Whoever receives one such child in my name, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives not me, but him who sent me.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of true wisdom, the dangers of envy and ambition, and the call to humility and service. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear the wicked plotting against the just, mocking their faith and testing their trust in God. This passage reflects the age-old tension between those who seek to live according to God’s will and those who reject it, choosing instead a path of selfishness and sin. The just one, though seemingly powerless, is revealed to be the true child of God, and his ultimate vindication is certain. The second reading from the Letter of James provides a complementary message, warning against the destructive power of envy and contention. James reminds us that true wisdom is not marked by rivalry or selfish ambition but by peace, meekness, and a readiness to do good. He traces the source of conflict to our own desires and the failure to seek God’s will in prayer. This teaching calls us to examine our hearts and to pursue a path of humility and harmony. In the Gospel, Mark presents Jesus teaching his disciples about his impending passion and resurrection, but they fail to understand. Their confusion leads to an argument about who is the greatest, prompting Jesus to teach them about the true nature of leadership. He says, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and the minister of all.” Embracing a child as an example, Jesus emphasizes that true greatness lies in receiving and serving others with humility. These readings remind us that our faith is not about power or status but about living with humility, trust, and a willingness to serve. Let us ask ourselves: Do we seek to be served, or do we serve others? Do we trust in God’s plan, even when it seems uncertain? May we strive to live as true disciples of Christ, embracing humility and serving others in love.