Jesus begins to prepare His disciples about His impending passion, death and resurrection but His disciples do not understand.

They needed an almighty God who conquers enemies, not one who suffers and dies. And why should it happen?

Do not despair of my silliness, Lord. Go on teaching me.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20

Let us set a trap for the righteous,

For he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries. Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.

 

Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6-8 (6b) The Lord upholds my life.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

James 3:16-4:3

Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice.

 

What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your cravings that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Mark 9:30-37

After leaving that place, they made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise." The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

 

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, "If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all."

 

Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me, but the One who sent me."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me..."

 Lectio Divina

READ: Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee. Jesus taught his disciples. He told them that the Son of Man would be delivered and killed, and on the third day he would rise. The disciples did not understand Jesus' words. They came to Capernaum. When they were already inside the house, Jesus asked them about what they were discussing on the way.

 

They were hesitant to tell him that they were arguing about who was the greatest. Jesus taught them that the one who would want to be the first must be the last and the servant of all. He took a child, put him in their midst while placing his arms around the child. Then Jesus taught his disciples that whoever would welcome the child, would welcome Jesus and the One who sent Jesus.

 

REFLECT: In Mark's Gospel, Jesus' teaching on discipleship appears to be concentrated in chapters 8-10. In these chapters, Jesus kept teaching his disciples about the salvific offering of his life but his disciples were too slow to understand Jesus' teaching. In today's Gospel passage, Jesus appeared to teach his disciples of the meaning of his messiahship with a visual aid.

 

He demonstrated his message through the help of a child whom Jesus placed in their midst and lovingly enclosed with his arms. We learn Jesus' messiahship better through the humble and selfless way of a child.

 

PRAY: Let us pray that we may truly learn the meaning of Jesus' messiahship.

 

ACT: Let us do three concrete acts of humility today.