SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Tuesday

Year II

Readings

First Reading
Jas 4:1–10

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 55:7–8, 9–10a, 10b–11a, 23

Gospel
Mk 9:30–37

Meditation on Today’s Readings

Taken from the Vatican II Sunday and Weekday Missal
Written by Celia Sirois

The two first readings highlight different aspects of today’s Gospel story. Predicting his passion, Jesus shows himself to be well-schooled in the way of wisdom. He knows that God’s servants are often tried by adversity and crushed by misfortune, as Sirach teaches. Having studied “the generations long past,” he knows too that God saves in time of trouble.

The argument that preoccupies Jesus’ disciples in the same Gospel story deserves the stern warning of James: “Where do the conflicts among you come from?… Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” More gently, Jesus tells them the same thing. In Jesus’ day, the child that he set before the Twelve was not a symbol of innocence, but of poverty and powerlessness. Children in that world were vulnerable and voiceless, as they are today. Jesus was telling the Twelve—and us—that true greatness consists in extending a warm welcome to the least of his brothers and sisters.

The copyright for the Sunday Missal Introductions is:
Copyright (c) 2001, Daughters of St. Paul
The copyright for the Weekday Missal Introduction is:
Copyright (c) 2002, Daughters of St. Paul