Second Week of Lent
28th February 2024 (Wednesday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Jeremiah 18:18-20
They said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” Hear me, O Lord, and listen to the voice of my adversaries. Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
Psalm 31:5-6, 14, 15-16 (R. see 17b)
R/. Save me, O Lord, in your merciful love
Verse Before The Gospel
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel : Matthew 20:17-28
At that time: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my chalice, 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.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Life as ransom!
Guidelines: We are living in such a world where often good is repaid with evil; sacrifice is repaid with ingratitude and harm. In the face of such experiences, what is needed is a spirit of surrender, sacrifice and service
1. The life of a disciple of Christ is for sacrifice and service. It is not something new or out of the way. It is the same with the master. Jesus too lived a life of sacrifice and service. He sacrificed many things in life and spent his whole time and energy serving others.
2. He declares, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. Yes, he had to pay a heavy price for his commitment. He had to face opposition, persecution, suffering, and even death.
3. The same was the fate of the prophet Jeremiah as we see in the first reading. The very people for whom he struggled hard and pleaded with God would turn against him and plot to kill him. The life of a disciple is not meant for comfort and convenience.
4. It does not go well that a disciple of Christ seeks power and position, honour and glory. A disciple does not lord or boss over others. Rather, he manifests an attitude of a servant: Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave.
5. In the gospel, the mother of the sons of Zebedee approaches Jesus to grant the two best seats beside him for her sons. This episode typically represents the situation of the church authorities of our own times.
6. There is so much craving and fighting for power and position. Domination replaces humility. Lording over dominates obeying. Being served becomes a status-symbol in the place of serving others.
Practice: The religious authority is also getting tainted by worldly authority. There is so much manipulation and domination. It is high time to do a thorough self-check and recapture the spirit of sacrifice and service
