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Weekday
James 4:1-10
Psalm 55:7-8, 9-10A, 10B-11A, 23
Mark 9:30-37
Summary
The first reading finds the early church trying to figure out the causes of division.
The Psalmist calls for us to ˈThrow your cares on the Lord, and he will support
you.ˉ Then as the disciples are discussing just who will be first among them, Je-
sus, somewhat frustrated that they have not learned by his example, takes a child
and places this child in the center of them and says, "Whoever receives one child
such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me
but the One who sent me."
Reflection
In today˅s Gospel, Jesus must have been so frustrated and wonder if his collec-
tion of apostles had become restless and missed the messages of his preaching.
Jesus had just finished sharing with his followers that his future was going to be
mixed, both with his dying and his resurrection. Meanwhile the apostles are de-
bating just who is going to be the next leader of the band. When Jesus asks
about the conversation they sheepishly tell him. At that moment Jesus does one
of the things he does bestˁhe makes it simple. "If
anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
When I was in grammar school I would always want to
be picked first. If the teacher needed a helper, I was
there; hand raised and waving. If it was choosing who
will be on a team, I wanted the team captain to
choose me first; that was of course, if I wasn˅t the
team captain. I was always looking for recognition.
Pick me, I˅ll do a good job!
This gospel is very challenging, because as a young
person, as well as an adult, I appreciate when people