＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Jeremiah 18: 18-20

 Then, they said, “Come, let us plot against Jeremiah,

for even without him, there will be priests to interpret the Teachings of the Law; there will always be wise men to impart counsel and prophets to proclaim the word.Come, let us accuse him and strike him down instead of listening to what he says.”

 Hear me, O Yahweh! Listen to what my accusers say. Is evil the reward for good? Why do they dig a grave for me?Remember how I stood before you to speak well on their behalf so that your anger might subside.

 

Ps 31: 5-6, 14-16

Save me, O Lord, in your kindness,

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 20: 17-28

When Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside and said to them on the way,  “See, we are going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law who will condemn him to death.  They will hand him over to the foreigners who will mock him, scourge him and crucify him. But he will be raised to life on the third day.”

 Then 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.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Is evil the reward for good? Jeremiah posed this question to God as he suffered persecution because of doing God’s command. In the world where evil seemingly prospers while the good is doomed, this is a very relevant question. We have many people who in their sincere love for God and for others had to suffer. This has been the narrative of many martyrs of the Church who shed their blood for the sake of others. This has been the story of Jesus whose deep compassion lead to His crucifixion death.

Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga once said that martyrdom is the mark of one’s authenticity of witnessing. This is the challenge of being Christ’s followers today. Christian life is to drink the cup’ that Jesus drunk which means to suffer as He did. The call to serve often bears the consequence of suffering because it confronts evils in the world Jesus’ invitation is to follow Him and following Him means being a servant of all. Such servanthood determines our closeness to Him, not to sit beside Him as the mother of James and John had requested. Today, to desire a place in Jesus’ kingdom is to sit among those who needed our help, it is to be a servant of all.