This is the second day in a row that the gospel passage has emphasized the role of service as an integral part of greatness. Yesterday we heard that God exalts the lowly: those who act as servants of their brothers and sisters. Today Jesus is telling us that the first among us will be the slave of the rest! Something within us knows that this is both a desirable and an undesirable thing! But then again – we know that if Jesus said it, it must really be worth doing – and it must be able to be done!
The further context of this idea is found in the earlier part of the passage where Jesus is talking about sharing in his suffering and death! Those who want a share in the Kingdom that is coming must also be willing to pay the entrance fee that Jesus himself makes valid and operational: personal suffering in imitation of him and his! When we freely and lovingly embrace our sufferings: "drinking of his chalice" – then we will be admitted to the glory that lies beyond the Cross: the newness of life of healing, joy and resurrection!
Jeremiah (of the first reading) was a prophet who spoke the truth from God to those who would not listen. His suffering was his negative reception! They regarded him as an enemy to their evil ways. And they wanted to persecute him and do away with him! But Jeremiah prayed to the Lord for help: "must the good that I am doing be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?" And the Lord answered and helped Jeremiah withstand that persecution that was simply part of his vocation as prophet!
We are called to be disciples like James and John, we are called to be prophets like Jeremiah – we are called to be affect change in the world by our participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are called to withstand those who plot against us! The Church in America has entered into a new era of persecution. The personal irrational view that the President of the United States has on what constitutes freedom ought to be quite disturbing to us, as Catholics. Freedom does not mean divorcing politics from everything else: from reason, from ethics, from morals, from objective reality. As the opposing side of secular perversion organizes and mobilizes its godless ways of thinking and resulting plans and programs, so the Church is seen as a primary formidable obstacle that needs to be taken down. Events like the attempted siege of the Church of Bridgeport by the State of Connecticut (that is occurring even as we speak) – which involves that State taking over the structuring and operation of the Diocese of Bridgeport – thus separating the Bishop from his Diocese, and the pastors from their parishes - are only the tip of the iceberg of what will be happening on a greater and grander scale throughout our country.
It is a time – once again in Church history – for the Church to be Church – to coolly, calmly and confidently be the Light of all Nations, beginning with our own! Concerned, courageous Catholics must unite and do three things: 1) pray for God's will; 2) believe that these are very critical times in our country's history; 3) make our Catholic voices heard by contacting elected officials to let them know what we think and how we feel!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life!
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