September 22, 2024 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Readings: First Reading – Wisdom 2:12.17-20;Â Second Reading – James 3: 16-4:3 and the Gospel – Mark 9:30-37
When Nelson Mandela was a student lawyer in Johannesburg he had a friend whose name was Paul Mahabane. Paul was a member of the African National Congress (ANC), and had a reputation of being a radical. One day the two of them were standing outside a post office when a local Magistrate, a white man in his sixties, approached Paul and asked him to go inside and buy him some stamps. It was quite common in those days for a white person to call on a black person to perform some chores. Paul refused. The magistrate was offended.
‘Do you know who I am?’ he said, his face turning red with anger. ‘It’s not necessary to know who you are’ replied Paul. I know what you are ‘
The magistrate boiled over and exclaimed, ‘You will pay dearly for this ‘ and then walked away.
That white man was convinced that he was superior to Paul simply because he was a magistrate. And it was clear that it had become his second nature to expect others, especially if they were black, to serve him.
Again people treat others as second class citizens because of their wealth, or political class, or colour or even tribe.
We tend to define and evaluate people in terms of the job they do or the position they are holding in the society.
So what do we truly understand by being great? Is it evil in itself to be great?
Desire to become great is natural to every human being. This kind of desire for greatness is encouraging because it makes us strive to excel in all our endeavours. This drive for excellence can bring a healthy competition which makes a person strive for first position in academics, sports, even in politics.
This drives us to do better in life, such as in school, artistic endeavors, and hobbies, working hard to perfect various skills and talents so as to excel. This is a healthy drive and it’s encouraging.
Is this the kind of desire that the apostles were having? No!!
They nurtured unhealthy competition which was driven by jealousy and selfish ambition.
As Jesus was telling the apostles about his impending suffering, death and resurrection, they didn’t understand what he was telling them because their minds were occupied with the earthly position they would occupy when Jesus is declared the king of the universe.
The problem is that every good and natural desire we have is now disordered to a certain degree because of original sin. As a result, the desire we have for greatness can become an obsession, a cause of discouragement when we fail, a source of jealousy when others appear to do better, and can lead us to pursue empty and fleeting goals in life.
Jesus corrected the apostles by teaching them what greatness is all about.
He taught them that true greatness is in service.
A person who serves, puts others before himself or herself. However, false ambition destroys unity, love, peace instead it breeds jealousy, evil ambition and self-seeking which leads to disharmony and fighting as St. James tells us in the second reading.
Jesus has shown us that true greatness can be acquired through humility and service which are the embodiment of children.
So the Lord is telling us today to acquire the virtues of humility, service, justice and honesty.
We pray that Almighty God may bless us and protect us from all evil through Christ our Lord Amen.
Have a lovely and blessed Sunday.
Rev. Fr. Ambrose Onyeka Anene, SDB, is the parish priest of Church of the Archangels, Gaduwa, Abuja.
