July 25, 2015
Saturday ,
James, Apostle
1st Reading:
2 Cor 4:7-15
Gospel: Mt 20:20-28
The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom.”
Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it.”
The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all.
“Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Ambition that consumes the human heart rends propriety apart. How inappropriate it was for James and John to ask Jesus in public for reserved seats in heaven! While today’s Gospel of Matthew tells us it was their mother who had asked for the favor on their behalf, Mark 10:35-45 tells us that James and John themselves made the unethical request.
It wasn’t wrong for these two Apostles to be ambitious about heaven. After all, there is no treasure more precious to aspire for, no prize more irresistible to work hard for, than being in heaven with God our Creator. But they wanted a lifetime of gain in an instant, forgetting that there is no such thing as free lunch. Ambition without devotion and dedication is addiction. With it, one loses all propriety and shamelessly covets the crown without sweat in his brow. Jesus made this clear to James and John by way of a question. “Can you drink the cup (of suffering) that I am about to drink?”
Ambition without devotion pulls propriety apart. We shouldn’t allow the same to corrupt our heart. If one can’t achieve earthly glory while lying down, what more can be said about coveting the heavenly crown? By embracing the cup of suffering we show our willingness to pay the price; by aligning our will to God’s Holy Will, we show the sincerity of our quest for that heavenly prize. — Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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