FIRST READING            Isaiah 53:10-11

The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.  If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him.  Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.

SECOND READING                  Hebrews 4:14-16

Brothers and sisters:  Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.  So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

GOSPEL                Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?”  They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”  Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.  Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”  They said to him, “We can.”  Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”  When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.  Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.  But it shall not be so among you.  Rather, 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.”

My sisters and brothers in the Lord,

Weakness, infirmity, drinking the cup of the Lord—the readings today point us to the necessity of accepting all of the difficulties in our lives in union with Jesus Himself.  I say “in union” because only when we are aware of our relationship with the Lord as our Saviour are we truly able to accept all that happens to us in faith.  Most of us need a deeper faith even when we accept believing.  Thus our ancestors in the faith quite often wavered and had doubts and questioned God—and yet persevered.  Some did not persevere and they are given to us as examples.  Those who did persevere are not always examples of total fidelity to the Lord, but examples of a human attempt to follow the Lord.

The first reading today is from the Prophet Isaiah and tells us that the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.  This is a reference to the Suffering Servant.  The Suffering Servant in Isaiah is a figure of a person who was willing to sacrifice all for others.  This becomes an image of Jesus.  For us, it always poses the question:  How much am I will to suffer for others?  Jesus was willing to sacrifice all.  What I am willing to sacrifice?

The second reading today is from the Letter to the Hebrews and again is a figure of Jesus:  one who has been tested in every way, yet without sin.  None of us can claim that we are without sin.  The question this passage poses for us is how we endure the testing of our lives.  There is no live of commitment to anything that does not bring about a testing of that commitment.  It is the same question:  How much am I willing to give in order to be faithful to God and to the ways of God?  Jesus was tested in everything and was always faithful.  We are tested and are not faithful completely.  Do we really want to be faithful?  If so, how much are we willing to suffer?

The Gospel from Mark today gives us this wonderful passage about James and John.  They want to sit beside Jesus in the Kingdom.  Jesus is clear that this is a gift that he cannot give but Jesus immediately used the question as a teaching:  whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

So again we are left with a question directed to us:  Am I willing to be servant and slave of all?  If I want to follow Christ in the Kingdom, then I must be willing to accept this role of servant and slave to all!  I might reply:  I don’t want to be important in the Kingdom, I only want to be in the Kingdom!  It does not matter.  If we want to be in the Kingdom, we must learn to serve, whether we want to be great or small!

My sisters and brothers!  We are invited to follow Jesus Christ.  Let us walk with Him and learn with Him to accept suffering and even death so that we may be with Him in the Kingdom forever.

Your brother in the Lord,

Abbot Philip