Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.  They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"  But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.  Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me."

 

We are one week away from Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent.  So how does today’s Gospel reading help me prepare us for our upcoming Lenten journey.  What is it in this message that will set me on a course to the resurrection.  What is it that I must do during Lent to bring me closer to God?  Today’s Gospel reading starts with Jesus trying to explain what is getting ready to happen.  They are getting ready to experience the final journey to Calvary where Jesus is crucified for us.  So what are His disciples doing during this time?  Their arguing over who is top dog.  Is it not like us to always want to be on top; to be first in line or to be number one. We all want to be first but Jesus tells us that we must be last to be first. This goes against what we perceive to be our own human nature. None of us enter a race to finish last and none of us enter a competition to be defeated. Human ambition tells us that we must be first to satisfied. But Jesus tells us that we must be willing to sacrifice everything we have to be first in the kingdom of God. When we seek a path to heaven, we must walk on the trail that requires total abandonment. We must be willing to abandon all our worldly goods and possessions. We must become a servant to the needs of man. To bask in the glory and honor of God, one must be willing to burden the cross. One must be willing to make sacrifices. We must learn that lent is not about us, but about us bringing people to Christ.  How do we do that?  By praying for others, by fasting for others and by giving alms for others.  It is not about us, but about those that we make the sacrifice.

 

Jesus embraces a young child to demonstrate his message. Children were the very bottom of the Jewish society. They were equivalent to the house servants. By embracing this child, Jesus elevated the small child to a position of honor. When we go out into the world, who is it that we seek; the healthy or the sick; the rich or the poor. To be greatest in the kingdom of God requires us to humble ourselves for the benefit of others. We must be willing to abandon our own needs for the needs of others. If we are to fill ourselves with the glory of God, we must empty ourselves of our own vanity. When you look in the mirror, ask the simple question, who am I?  Who do I serve?  Who will I feed today?  Who will I lead to Christ today?

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord, you have given me the greatest example.

You came to be my servant and now I must learn to be the servant of man.

Help me to humble myself before my fellow man.

Help me to seek the glory of God through the abandonment of my vanity.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon