Oct 20 2024

First reading Isaiah 53:10-11

If he offers his life in atonement, what the Lord wishes will be done

The Lord has been pleased to crush his servant with suffering.

If he offers his life in atonement,

he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life

and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

His soul’s anguish over,

he shall see the light and be content.

By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,

taking their faults on himself.

Responsorial Psalm 32(33):4-5,18-20,22

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Second reading Hebrews 4:14-16

Our high priest is one who has been tempted in every way that we are

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Gospel Mark 10:35-45

The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus. ‘Master,’ they said to him ‘we want you to do us a favour.’ He said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.’

When the other ten heard this they began to feel indignant with James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

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Becoming great

Everyone has the innate desire to excel in various aspects of life, whether it’s in education, career advancement, or competition. It’s natural to strive for greatness. In the gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, as well as us today, that if we want to be great, we should be great in service. Being a disciple of Jesus means going against the world’s oppressive standards of authority. Jesus teaches us through His testimony that He was constantly at the service of humanity. We can see how He spent long hours healing and preaching, attending to those in need, and reaching out to the vulnerable and those rejected by society. He became the servant of all.

Jesus shows us through His life what love is and how to cultivate it by not demanding too much attention for ourselves, but by focusing on others. Instead of seeking special treatment, we should help others with their needs. In this way, we will find Him close to us.

Reflective question:
How can I imitate Jesus’ attitude today?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.