I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord: in every tribulation in which they cry out to me, I will hear them and I will be their God forever.

 

I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord: in every tribulation in which they cry out to me, I will hear them and I will be their God forever.

In the Eucharist we find the support to follow Jesus on the path of fraternal service, amidst the trials of life. In the eyes of God, the value of a person consists in the service they generously render to others. In this liturgy, let us ask the Lord to favor us with his wisdom, so that our religious practice never becomes confused with the search for prestige and power. First Reading: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 The Word of God guarantees the Lord's help to the righteous. Through it we are exhorted to abandon selfish tendencies and to become servants of all, welcoming Christ in the little ones. A reading from the Book of Wisdom – The wicked say: 12“Let us beset the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us; he opposes our ways, he rebukes us for our transgressions of the law, and accuses us of our sins against our training. 17Let us see if what he says is true, and let us test what will happen to him. 18If the righteous man is indeed a ‘son of God,’ God will defend him and rescue him from the hands of his enemies. 19Let us test him with insults and tortures, to see his serenity and to test his patience; 20let us condemn him to a shameful death, because, according to his words, someone will come to his aid.” - The word of the Lord. Responsorial Psalm: 53(54) The Lord sustains my life! 1. Save me, O Lord, for your name’s sake; / grant me your righteousness! / O my God, hear my prayer / and listen to my words! – R. 2. For the proud have risen up against me, † and the violent have persecuted me; / there is no place for God in their eyes. / My God is my protector and my supporter; / the Lord is my life-giver! - R. 3. I will offer my sacrifice to you / with all my heart and with great joy; / I will praise your name, O Lord, / I will sing to your name, for it is good! – R. Second Reading: James 3:16-4:3 A reading from the letter of Saint James – Beloved, 16Where envy and rivalry exist, there are disorders and every kind of evil deed. 17But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 4:1 Where do wars come from? Where do quarrels come from among you? Do they not come from the passions that conflict within you? 2 You lust, but cannot possess. You kill and envy, but cannot succeed. You fight and wage war, but cannot possess. And this is because you do not ask. 3 You ask, but do not receive, because you ask wrongly. For you want to spend what you ask on your pleasures. – The word of the Lord. Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. The Father has called us through the gospel, / to obtain the glory / of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess 2:14). – R. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark – At that time, 30Jesus and his disciples were passing through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about this, 31because he was teaching his disciples. And he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after his death he will rise again.” 32But the disciples did not understand this and were afraid to ask him. 33They came to Capernaum. Once in the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they kept quiet, because on the way they had been arguing about who was the greatest. 35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” 36Then he took a child and placed him in their midst. Taking him in his arms, he said, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: This is the second time in Mark that Jesus predicts his passion-death-resurrection. The disciples still do not understand Jesus’ message, because they persist in their false idea about the Messiah. Jesus had taught them the conditions for following him. However, the disciples, forgetful or inattentive, argue among themselves about who among them would be the leader (in the Kingdom). They do not answer Jesus’ question (what were they discussing?), since the conversation was not edifying (competition within the group). Jesus does not use half measures: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.” To reinforce his teaching, he uses the presence of a child, a symbol of simplicity and openness of heart, virtues that disciples need to learn and practice. These are basic conditions for being a disciple in the community of Jesus. (Day by Day with the Gospel 2