＊＊＊ 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, 6b-8

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：

Read:

Jesus begins to prepare His disciples about His impending passion, death and resurrection but His disciples do not understand. They were even busy arguing who would be the greatest of them in the coming kingdom of their Master. Jesus that day teaches them that it is in being unself-conscious like the child that greatness lies.

Reflect:

The disciples still did not get it. No matter how many times Jesus will tell them that His being Messiah is one of suffering and death. But on the third day, He will arise again.

Still they persist in their notion of an earthly Mssiah who will replace the political and religious leadership of Israel at an appointed time. Thus, they began to argue who among them would benefit the most in the coming earthly kingdom of their lord and master.

Again, Jesus has to patiently school them in His way. He emphasizes this time that it is not the grasping ambitious grown ups who will be first in His coming Kingdombut those who are childlike and unaware of their own importance.

That the most important achievement is the dying to the self rather than bloating the self with invented self-importance. The journey of the disciples toward self-emptying will be long and hard.

Respond:

Today is a good day to examine the content of our heart. Are we pining for things that increase the self rather than the spirit? We can get to know these desires of the heart to understand our basic poverty.