If I saw the gates of hell open and I stood on the brink of the abyss, I would not despair; I would not lose hope of mercy, because I would trust in
you, my God. St. Gemma Galgani
(There is never a situation that cannot be improved through trusting in God. What do you need to entrust to God's care this day?)
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2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1bc-6
Mt 20:20-28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
"What do you wish?"
She answered him,
"Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."
Jesus said in reply,
"You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I
am going to drink?"
They said to him, "We can."
He replied,
"My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
When the ten heard
this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to
be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Reflection on the Scriptures
In today’s Gospel, we encounter James the son of Zebedee in one of the more well-known passages of which he is a part. We are witness to a bold request: a mother asks Jesus if her sons may sit at His right and
left in the Kingdom of God (It is worth noting that in the Gospel of Mark, the brothers make this request themselves). When the ten apostles hear Jesus’s response to the brothers, they get upset. It seems like they may be getting special treatment. How come they might get the most powerful, high-status positions by siting at the right and left hand of God? But our Lord had a good lesson for them- those who wish to be great will be humbled, and He reminded them that we are on this earth to
serve God, just as Jesus came to give his life for us. This passage led me to examine ways in which I seek power in my life. How often do I seek intellectual superiority because I have a strong desire to be right? Why do I find myself keeping tabs on all the tasks I’ve done in a day so I can “win” the invisible race of who has done more around the
house? Do I seek higher paying jobs for the prestige? There are so many ways we may seek power or control in our daily lives, and the more I examined my personal life, I realized how much the pursuit of power can hurt my mental well-being and my relationships. What if, instead, I took on the mind set of servitude? If I found joy in serving those at work, in my home, and in public? This is what I think Jesus is calling us to in the end of this passage. Serving others is how we bring Christ to
them. In a power-hungry world, what would it look like if we chose to serve one another instead of chase power? by Mirielle Mason
Psychic Energy and Contemplation by James
Arraj From St. John of the Cross and Dr. C. J. Jung, Part III, Chapter 9. Inner Growth Books, 1986. An Anti-mystical Atmosphere Nothing is harder to recognize the value of than something that has harmed us in a deformed state. The misunderstanding and misuse of John of the Cross gave rise to an urge to
forget about him and find some new source of 'inspiration. In actual fact St. John had been rarely read, and even more rarely understood from the positive perspective of actual mystical experience. He evoked a feeling of negation which overburdened people already plagued by doubt and guilt because of their inability to do away with their human nature. The renewal of interest in St. John today has to take into account these undercurrents and misunderstandings that have effected the spiritual life
for so long.
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