Daily Catholic Lectio. Tue, 21 Mar 2024. Three ways

Daily Catholic Lectio

Tue, 21 Mar 2024

Seventh Week in Ordinary Time – Tuesday

James 4:1-10. Mark 9:30-37

Three ways

In the gospel reading, Jesus predicts his passion, death, and resurrection for the second time. The disciples did not understand him, and they were afraid to question him.

The disciples, who were discussing along the way who was the greatest among them, were instructed by Jesus on leadership. Jesus proposes to accept him and the Father in a little child.

Three ways are proposed here:

(a) Way of Calvary – Jesus predicts his way. But the disciples failed to understand it.

(b) Way of Galilee – Along this way, the disciples discuss who is the greatest.

(c) Little Way – To identify the Son of God and God in a little child.

The way of Calvary begins with pain but ends in glory.

“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Being first entails being last. Being a leader means being a servant. Jesus instructs that leadership consists of self-denial and service. But this is not the case in our day-to-day lives. One who is pushy, dominant, and loud wins the game of leadership. One who chooses to remain little, last, and servant is forgotten.

Thus, being a servant may offer hope that one may become a leader; it in no way gives a guarantee.

In the first reading, James speaks to his community about the virtue of humility in front of God. Humility in front of God comes to us easily because we depend on him and he is superior to us. Being humble in front of my neighbour seems difficult for me.

Accepting the way of Calvary is difficult. We are bound to walk the way of Galilee, comparing ourselves to each other. However, we shall remember the little way.

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The war, violence, and fundamentalism that we encounter today are today’s extensions of the past question of the disciples of Jesus – who is the greatest? The question will go on to be discussed till the end of the world. Unfortunately, we will have no answer. The discussion will lead us to our extinct. (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 103).

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy

# Be M.er.cy.Fool