by Fr Joachim Robert
Isaiah 53:10-11
Psalm 32:4-5,18-20,22
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45
Theme: Love In Action
Dear friends,
As we celebrate World Mission Sunday today, the Readings invites us to take a look at the attitudes of the disciples. And as we look at these attitudes of the disciples, we also come to realise how petty they can be participating in this mission of Jesus.
And as I read the Gospel today while preparing for the homily, I was amused and amazed at the attitude of those disciples because they did not know what they were getting themselves into or what they were asking. They wanted a place of honour, authority and position.
But here we see that their quest for power and authority blinded them from seeing the true mission that Jesus has called them into. But how Jesus approached the situation, rather calmly, is also interesting.
When they came toward Jesus, wanting to have the places of honour, power and authority, Jesus redirects their attention to the mission. And He was able to make them realise that they had been blinded by power and authority and He redirects them into the mission that He wanted them to be participants in.
And as we look at the First Reading of today taken from the Prophet Isaiah. And here we see that the Lord has been pleased to crush His servant with suffering. And here, dear friends, we see in this text of the Prophet Isaiah as the suffering servant, we come to realise that those suffering that they have embraced or Isaiah has embraced brings liberation, brings freedom and does what is necessary and good for the sake of the people around him.
And this suffering, in his powerlessness, fulfills God’s mission. Through his suffering, he was able to do what is good for others. And when he was able to do this, his eyes were opened or the people’s eyes were opened to see God’s presence among them.
And in the Second Reading from the letter to the Hebrews, we too are told of this suffering Messiah. And the priest, the high priest Jesus shows how to grow in greatness. And the path that Jesus shows us is the path of humility, the path of humbling Himself for the sake of one another. In and through His sufferings, even though He was sinless, He chose to enter into humanity so that you and I can be saved.
So the path of Jesus towards greatness is a path of humble service, of self-sacrificing love towards people around Him. But again, dear friends, greatness is not what we have but how we give ourselves for the sake of the people around us.
As we move to the Gospel, we see how Jesus removes their blindness and restores their sight to see what is important in directing and orientating their lives. And they say, the othere, when James and John went to Jesus and asked Him that they want this place of honour and position and authority, Jesus tells them: You do not know what you are asking.
And Jesus tells them:
Can you drink the cup that I must drink? (Which means the cup of suffering).
Can you be baptised with the baptism which I must be baptised? (Which means His death).
And if you want to choose the cup of suffering and the baptism that Jesus has to go through to His death, then that should be the focus. And He tells them that:
The places of honour and position is not mine to give.
And this way, dear friends, He opens the eyes of the disciples to see what is beyond them rather than allowing themselves be caught up with all these small, small little things which diverts their attention or makes them not focus, He brings them to the focus of being able to humble himself or humble themself to see and to do what is good for others.
And in this way, dear friends, as I reflect on these scripture texts, we come to realise of so many missionaries that is around the world, who continue to redirect their focus, their attention on this humble service of how Jesus wants to spread the Gospel.
And as they spread the Gospel everywhere, each one of the missionaries, whether all around the world or even here, and you and I, dear friends, are called to be participants in that mission of spreading the Gospel.
You and I are called to grow in that love for Jesus, to grow in that humility of humbling ourselves in a self-sacrificing love for the sake of those around us and to be docile to where the Lord is leading us. And doing so, dear friends, we grow in our sense of mission, we grow in our sense of purpose, we grow in the sense of our identity in God.
And as we celebrate World Mission Sunday today, Pope Francis emphasises this call to mission and he gives us this parable of the wedding banquet where those who were called did not come. So he sends them to go out, the King sends them out to go and call and invite everyone to the wedding banquet, to show that tender compassion and the love of God, to be hospitable to those who come so that they may experience the sweetness of the Gospel.
And you and I, dear friends, are called to go out into the fields, to go out and share God’s goodness, God’s love, God’s compassion towards one another. And in doing so, we need to redirect our attention just like James and John. Just like how the other 10 disciples were indignant, they too need to redirect their attention, to be focused on Jesus, to be docile to the Holy Spirit and to be in humble service in spreading the Good News of Jesus to everyone, not only those whom we know, those who are close to us but to everyone. And in doing so, we will be able to find our place in the world, to find our place in society.
And today as well, as we celebrate World Mission Sunday, the collections that we collect today are also going towards spreading the Gospel everywhere around the world, especially those areas which are in need.
You and I, dear friends, have been beneficiaries of those missionaries who have come to share their faith and their conviction of faith. And what they have shared with us now becomes an opportunity for us to share the Gospel to the people around us. And as participants who have received that faith, we too ought to do the same in spreading the Gospel around us.
So today we are invited, dear friends, to grow in that sense of love for Jesus, to grow in our encounter with Jesus, to walk with docility to the Holy Spirit and to walk in humble service of our brothers and sisters.
Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-
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