Sirach 36:1. 4-5, 10-17, Mark 10:32-45, Psalm 79:8-9, 11 & 13

Daily Mass Readings:  Sirach 36:1. 4-5, 10-17, Mark 10:32-45, Psalm 79:8-9, 11 & 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirach 36:1,10, 5, 17, 11-13

  1 Have mercy on us, Master, God of all, and look on us; make every nation stand in fear of you.

10 Gather all the tribes of Jacob, give them back their inheritance as in the beginning.

This is my prayer too my Beloved, for myself and for Your Holy Church.  There is no joy - Your people have wandered far away.  We have let the world and its empty pleasures seduce us.  We have allowed things to dominate us and become the masters of our time and our recreation.  We have forgotten You.  In Your mercy and for the sake of Your faithfulness, have pity for Your poor weak ones.

5 Give new signs, do fresh wonders, stretch out your hand and be glorified in your strength.

17 So that all on earth may acknowledge that you are Lord and ever­lasting God.

11 Have pity, Lord, on the people known by your Name, on Israel whom you called your firstborn.

12 Show compassion to the holy city, to Jerusalem where you rest.

13 Fill Zion with the fame of your wonders, and your people with your glory.

Let us once again acknowledge that there that there is no God but You alone.  Have mercy on us Beloved and reveal Yourself again to us.  We are the people who are known by Your Name, we are Christians, show compassion to our Pope, clergy and Your faithful remnant.  

14 Confirm the promises made to your people long ago and fulfill the promises made in your name.

15 Reward those who wait for you and fulfill the words of your prophets.

Renew us in the Holy Spirit, give us a fresh outpouring of grace and confirm us in all the promises You have made.

16 Hear the prayer of your servants, Lord; hear your priests giving Aaron’s blessing to your people.

Mark 10:32-34, 37, 42-45

32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead. The Twelve were anxious and those who followed were afraid. Once more Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them what was to happen to him.

Once again, You are walking firmly, calmly, resolutely up to Jerusalem.  There must have been a look on Your face that must have terrified Your disciples and most certainly did not invite small talk, because they fell behind leaving You to walk alone ahead.  Later, patient as always, You took aside those closest to You, the Twelve, and You spoke to them plainly and simply as You made known to them exactly what would happen to You in Jerusalem.  It could not be clearer. You said,

33 “You see we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the foreigners 34 who will make fun of him, spit on him, scourge him and finally kill him; but three days later he will rise.”

How is it then my Beloved that they all scattered to the four winds and hid when the time had come?  Why were they perplexed?  How did they forget when You had foretold many times exactly what would happen, even at the Last Supper?  Why do we find it difficult to remember what is unpleasant?  

37 They answered, “Grant us to sit one at your right and one at your left when you come in your glory.”

42 Jesus then called them to him and said, “As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your ser­vant, 44 and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. 45 Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”

We are more concerned with trifles.  We want to share in Your glory without walking with You to Calvary.

It is as You have said Beloved, in the end, what should please us is if we have done our duty and served You faithfully in whatever way You have called us.  Help us Lord, help Your Church!