March 16, Wednesday 2nd Week of Lent
St. Heribert of Cologne
Daily Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20 & Matthew 20:17-28
Discipleship is not a rosy path but a path of thorns, suffering, and hardships that lead to exaltation. Jesus clearly instructs his disciples that glorification comes through a painful process that includes suffering and death. In the gospel reading, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, and the mother of Zebedee's sons begs Jesus for a favor for her sons.
And Jesus instructs his disciples that authority is to serve. "Whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mathew 20:27-28).
Apart from being the Son of Man, Jesus embodies the servant model. He recasts the notion of authority. Jesus exemplified it on Calvary by laying down his life. Jesus does not chastise James and John nor rebuke the disciples. Rather than that, he informs them of the kingdom of God's rules.
Like Jesus and the disciples, the ministers of the Church and the followers of Christ need to understand that our vocation is to be of service and not to be served. Suffering is an indispensable part of the Christian life. But it is not an end in itself. Let us help selflessly and triumph over the suffering with the grace of God.
We invite you to pray for those suffering in your circle of influence.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
