Sections The Daily B.R.E.A.D. Mar 3, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (Simply Be A Servant)
| Mar 3, 2010 - Wednesday Meditation (Simply Be A Servant) |
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| Sections - The Daily B.R.E.A.D. | |||
| Written by Bobot Apit | |||
| Sunday, 28 February 2010 00:16 | |||
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Human beings apparently haven’t changed much in thousands of years. Most of us like to be honored, told we are doing a good job and making a positive difference. That’s fine if we leave it that. But what follows too easily from that is the urge to tear others down to create the illusion that we are more important and worthy. The best sorts of leaders are those who are quick to give credit to others. They don’t shift the blame to others but take responsibility for their failings.
Wednesday of the Second Week in Lent Jeremiah 18:18-20 Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
M atthew 20:17-28 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, (18) "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, (19) and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." (20) Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. (21) And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." (22) But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." (23) He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." (24) And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. (25) But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. (26) It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, (27) and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; (28) even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Meditation
T reachery, deceit, pride, envy and a host of other common human failings are on full display in the readings today. In the first reading, we are told that some of the people of Judah set about to try to trap the prophet Jeremiah. Undoubtedly his words made them uncomfortable. Our natural human inclination is to shun those who make us uncomfortable, and the worst sort of discomfort originates from the voice in the back of your head telling you that there might be a grain of truth to what that disquieting person is saying.
Then in the Gospel we see these human reactions come into full bloom. Jesus foretells that his revolutionary message will eventually so shake the foundations of the existing power structure to the point that he will be put to death, but triumph over it three days. But in an instance of true irony, the disciples appear to listen to His message with the same tin ear that afflicts all of us, certainly me, sometimes. Apparently the same shortcomings of envy and pride that will cause the scribes and the chief priests to seize Jesus overcome the disciples. When two his disciples appear to be lobbying for special treatment and entrance into God’s kingdom, the other ten, we are told, become “indignant” as if to say: “Hold on, I’m at least as important as they are!”
In this respect, human beings apparently haven’t changed much in thousands of years. Most of us like to be honored, told we are doing a good job and making a positive difference. That’s fine if we leave it that. But what follows too easily from that is the urge to tear others down to create the illusion that we are more important and worthy. The best sorts of leaders are those who are quick to give credit to others. They don’t shift the blame to others but take responsibility for their failings.
As I make my way through Lent that’s what I’m working on. I don’t want to be like the scribes and chief priests – hopefully none of us do.
Supplementary Reading Living for a Cause Greater Than Yourself
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done. ~ Proverbs 19:17
If you were God and you wanted to send one of your servants to help the less fortunate in the world, how would you train your servant for this task? Our ways are not God's ways. We find an interesting story in the case of Brigid, a woman born in the early 400's in Ireland .
Brigid was born from a sexual encounter between an Irish king and one of his slaves. She was raised as a slave girl within the king's household and was required to perform hard work on the king's farm. From the beginning, Brigid took notice of the plight of the less fortunate. She would give the butter from the king's kitchen to working boys. She once gave the king's sword to a passing leper-an act about which the king was enraged. The king tried to marry her off, but to no avail. One day, Brigid fled the king's house and committed herself to belonging only to Christ.
Brigid sought other women who also wanted to belong only to Christ. Seven of them organized a community of nuns that became known as the settlement of Kildare, a place where many thatch-roofed dwellings were built, and where artist studios, workshops, guest chambers, a library, and a church evolved. These and other settlements became little industries all to themselves, producing some of the greatest craftsmanship in all of Europe . Many of the poor had their lives bettered because of Brigid's ministry to them.
Brigid became a traveling evangelist, helping the poor and preaching the gospel. When she died in 453, it is estimated 13,000 people had escaped from slavery and poverty to Christian service and industry. Her name became synonymous with the plight of the poor. She was a woman who turned a life of slavery and defeat into a life lived for a cause greater than herself. She became a nationally known figure among her people, and the Irish people still recognize her each February 1.
God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves. If God asked you what you had done for the poor, what would you say? Jesus had a special place in His heart for the poor. Ask God how you might use your gifts and talents to improve the plight of the poor in your community. ---OS Hillman)
For meditation/readings of the previous days/months , please click any of the following links:
Daily Mass and Gospel Meditation Broadcast (Tagalog) thru DWXI (5am Phil Time), pls click this link: http://www.eradioportal.com/index.php?p=2&aid=1&sid=62#STS=g1jais7y.zk6
GOD BLESS US ALL!
O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
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