Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

Mass Readings:

  • 1st Reading       Isaiah 53:10-11
  • 2nd Reading:     Hebrews 4:14-16
  • Responsorial:     Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22
  • Gospel:               Mark 10:35-45

Answering the Call to Serve Jesus and Build the Kingdom of God

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

It has been estimated that Internet start-up companies try to squeeze ten years’ worth of growth in just three years. Imagine the grueling amount of work the entire team would have to perform over that time—all in the hopes of a huge profit!

Now imagine if, one day, one of the employees of such a company stood up in a meeting and asked the founder to make him a key executive over everyone else. You could imagine how angry his co-workers would be. They had all worked hard! Why should this fellow get special treatment?

This scenario is a bit of a modern take on today’s Gospel reading, as James and John ask Jesus to guarantee them special seating when he comes into his kingdom. All the disciples had worked hard and followed Jesus faithfully, so why should these two be raised up above the others?

It seems that James and John missed three important points. First, they didn’t understand that Jesus was destined to be a heavenly King, not an earthly one. They missed that he wanted to build a kingdom focused on mercy and love, not power and domination.

Second, they didn’t realize that Jesus had come to die, not to reign. He had come not to be served like royalty, but to serve his people—to the point of giving up his very life for them.

Finally, they missed the point that this isn’t a competition. Everyone who serves Jesus will be given a seat of honor in heaven!

Like the apostles, you, too, are part of Jesus’ team. So think about your role in his organization. How is he calling you to serve? How can you make his kingdom more and more successful in the world?

“Father, thank you for making me your partner in this exciting venture! Teach me to seek opportunities to serve people and to lay down my life for them.”

 Download this reflection with discussion questions here.  

(Many thanks to The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) for allowing us to use meditations from their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.)

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Questions for Reflection/Discussion  

In the first reading today, we see an Old Testament prophecy of what our Savior Jesus, out of his great love for us, had to suffer on the cross — to take away our sins and bring us to eternal life with him. What impact on your life has the knowledge that God loves you so much that he was willing to allow his Son to suffer and die on the cross for your salvation? What are some of the ways you have personally experienced God’s great love for you?

  1. In the first reading today, we see an Old Testament prophecy of what our Savior Jesus, out of his great love for us, had to suffer on the cross — to take away our sins and bring us to eternal life with him. What impact on your life has the knowledge that God loves you so much that he was willing to allow his Son to suffer and die on the cross for your salvation? What are some of the ways you have personally experienced God’s great love for you?
  2. The Responsorial Psalm speaks of putting our trust and our hope in the Lord, and waiting on him. It begins with these words: “Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy.” The Psalm ends with these words: “May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you.” Are there any areas of your life where you struggle to trust the Lord? What steps can you take to increase your trust and hope in Him?
  3. The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews ends with these words “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Hebrews 4:16). What does this Scripture mean to you? What can hold you back from taking this promise of God to heart, especially when you need “timely help”?
  4. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the apostles, who were vying for positions of honor, what following him would entail: “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus was calling them — and us — to be “servant leaders.” What do you think this term means? In what ways was Jesus a servant leader? How does this term apply to you?
  5. The meditation ends with these challenging words and questions: “Like the apostles, you, too, are part of Jesus’ team. So think about your role in his organization. How is he calling you to serve? How can you make his kingdom more and more successful in the world?” How would you answer these questions from the meditation? In particular, what specific ways is Jesus calling you to relate to your family and to others as a servant leader?
  6. Take some time now to pray and thank your heavenly Father for calling you to serve the Lord and others — and ask him for the grace to say yes to this call. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.

[The discussion questions were created by Maurice Blumberg, a director of partner relations for The Word Among Us Partners, (http://www.waupartners.org/); a ministry of The Word Among Us (www.wau.org) to the military, prisoners, women with crisis pregnancies or who have had abortions, and college students. He is also a member of the National Service Committee Council of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Maurice was also the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men, for which he is currently a Trustee (http://www.nfcmusa.org/). He can be contacted at (Enable Javascript to see the email address) mblumberg@wau.org or (Enable Javascript to see the email address) mblumberg@aol.com.]