Twenty Ninth Sunday of the year – October 17, 2021
Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
In our society the word service has many meanings; but today as we celebrate Mission Sunday it includes the efforts of men, women, and children who work to spread the Gospel and offer Christ’s healing and forgiveness to those who have never encountered him. Hence service is an essential component of Christianity. Believing in God and acknowledging Jesus as our Lord and master are important as are study, prayer, and meditation; but the true mark of our faith is how we treat others in life. As Christians, we are all called to follow Christ with an attitude of service towards others. As many in our society strive for success, fame, and wealth, followers of Christ are called upon to look for opportunities to serve others. Our celebration of this Eucharist is an acknowledgment of our dependence on God and each other and our willingness to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
James and John wanted to be the first at Jesus' side in Heaven. The ten others were indignant at such a request. The Lord as he spoke to them ordered and told them to put everyone on an equal footing: the master must become the slave; the first must be the last. In this way, everyone will be happy. In heaven, it is the same. Certainly, there is an order among the elect of God and each is in his place, but none of them can express any dissatisfaction at all: each person is perfectly happy in the place which he occupies. It is precisely this same place, this precise order which produces the happiness of the elect of God in Heaven. For, this place, this order, allows the realization of a perfect and structured edifice: the House of God. This ideal is important for us as we celebrate the mission Sunday today. World Mission Sunday highlights our responsibility to help and spread the message found in the scriptures. We do not have to be experts in evangelization. We all are called to work with our brothers and sisters to build the kingdom of God here on earth. Our mission work has to be one of service as Jesus calls us to do.
May we able to actively participate in the mission that is entrusted to us by our baptism.
Happy Sunday
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