Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr Dominic’s Homily
Today we get another prediction by Jesus of what lies ahead. His suffering, crucifixion and death followed by his resurrection on the third day. He never speaks about suffering without the glory of the Resurrection because that is what it leads towards.
Jesus is preparing his apostles for this. He tells them they need to follow him through this. He is telling them that he truly is the Messiah. But this is all confusing for them they do not understand and they are too afraid to ask him.
Instead they start arguing about who is the greatest among them as they follow him. This shows they haven’t really listened to anything his has just said.
They are caught up in internal disputes. They fall prey to the internal battles that are going in within themselves. There is a war that goes on in each one of us. If we are not careful and we let it - this can sow a disharmony around us.
Disintegration of situations around us often arise because of disintegration that occurs inside us. The heart is our battleground.
Thomas Aquinas describes envy as being “The irrational anger at the success of those around us.”
This can sometimes lead us to gossip about others in an effort to destroy their reputation. We just don’t want those who are close to us to get ahead of us in one way or another. To have what we want.
There is another saying “comparison is the thief of joy” If we look back on our lives how often have we allowed a comparison of our lives with the lives of others around us to take control and so rob us of our peace and joy and fulfilment as we try to live up to some illusion of our own making.
This is the kind of conversation that the disciples are getting engaged in as they walk along. So Jesus asks them what they were arguing about on the way. They say nothing because they are feeling guilty.
Because what they have been talking about is diametrically opposite to what Jesus has been speaking about.
The Messiah - who is now sitting in front of them and who has come into the world not to be served but to serve, through his choice of being powerless - will endure suffering and death in order to become a true King. And not one of their making.
So Jesus doesn’t rebuke them but sits down in front of them. This is a sign that a teacher has something important to say to his followers. He’s also probably exasperated with them! So he takes a child and puts it in front of them and says to them look - this is how you must be.
Now at that time children had no status at all. They are seen as the lowest of all. They had no rights and were at the bottom of the social ladder.
Children had no ambition, envy or jealousy towards others. Their lives were not about themselves because they were totally docile towards their parents and their requirements.
Young children have the ability to live fully in the present moment and not worry about the past or be anxious about the future. They wouldn’t be caught up in envy, resentment or ambition which can so easy block out any joy in our lives.
To be fully immersed in the present moment is what brings true joy to our hearts and is how we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus wants to re awaken the child in each one of us. Not to be childish but to be childlike. To bring back lost innocence.
He wants us to make that inward journey that is so difficult for us so that we can tackle our internal disintegration that threatens to damage our relationships.
Jesus became childlike in submitting to the authorities like a lamb to the slaughter. He gave up any ambitions or personal agenda and became utterly docile in the way a child behaves towards its parents. He was completely humble.
It is through our childlike simplicity and humility that Jesus can enter our hearts more easily and through him the Father can be present.
It is only a Childlike Humility that invites the indwelling of the trinity into each one of us which brings us peace and draws us closer to the Kingdom of heaven.