Daily Readings - Wed Mar 16 2022
Jeremiah
18They said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let's attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says."19Listen to me, O LORD; hear what my accusers are saying!20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.
Matthew
17Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,18"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death19and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.21"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?We can," they answered.23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on trust in God’s providence and the call to humble service. In the first reading from Jeremiah, the prophet faces opposition and persecution from those who seek to silence him. Jeremiah cries out to God, expressing his trust in divine justice and his confidence that God sees all and will act in His time. This passage reminds us that even in the face of adversity, we must place our hope in the Lord, who is always near to those who suffer unjustly.
In the Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples for His Passion by revealing the trials He will endure. He speaks of being handed over to death and rising again on the third day. This prediction is met with a request from the mother of James and John, who seeks places of honor for her sons in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus uses this moment to teach the disciples about true greatness, emphasizing that authority in the kingdom is not about power but about service. He calls them to follow His example of self-giving love, even to the point of laying down one’s life for others.
These readings are deeply connected. Jeremiah’s trust in God’s justice and Jesus’ teaching on humble service both point to the same truth: our lives are not about seeking power or recognition but about surrendering to God’s will and serving others. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God’s plan, even when it is difficult, and to embrace the humility and selflessness that Jesus modeled. Let us ask for the grace to follow Him more closely, putting the needs of others before our own and trusting that God will bring good out of all things.