25th Sunday Year B: BEING CHILD-LIKE, BEING CHRIST-LIKE, BEING GOD-LIKE
25th Sunday Year B
BEING CHILD-LIKE, BEING CHRIST-LIKE, BEING GOD-LIKE
By Fr. Casmir Odundo, Kibet (St. Veronica, Keringet Parish)
Three years ago, I boarded a bus…Easy Coach, to be
precise, from Kisumu to Nakuru. I was among the very first people to assume
their seats in the bus. There were not so many passengers. A cute couple with a
young daughter (around 3 years old) suddenly came into the bus. Naturally, the
mother secured a seat for her daughter next to her and the father sat just
behind them. “Mummy I want to seat next
to Daddy,” shouted the young lad with an American Accent. This got the
attention of all the passengers in the bus. The parents ignored her. “Hey, I want to seat next to Daddy,” the
young angel insisted. “Great English from
a three year old,” I thought. Her parents conversed briefly in Luo. “OK then,” the mother said and they
changed places with the father. “Oedipus
Complex,” I whispered to the passenger who had sat next to me and I smiled.
A couple of hours later, the young daughter fell asleep and the mother came back
to her seat, and they put their daughter between them. In the course of the
journey, I couldn’t help but think about this couple…how they had sandwiched
the young girl between them. Of course
they must have come from the States. My mind went from their daughter to my own
days when growing up as a child. “Today,
children have taken centre stage…their opinion, concern matters a lot.” The
passenger, who was sitting next to me whispered. He must have noted how much I
had stared at this adorable couple.
In the gospel passage (Mk 9:30-37) the disciples are
on the journey together with Jesus, just like all of us were in that bus in the
above story. They are on their WAY. Last Sunday, Jesus was still on this way with them
at Caesarea Philippi where he famously posed to them the two million dollar
questions: Who do people say that I am? and
What do you say that I am? We recall the response of Peter, how on behalf
of the Apostles he got the second question right but how wrong he got when later in the same passage he could not understand why Jesus, the one he had correctly identified as the Christ, the Anointed
One, was to undergo suffering.
The admission of St. Peter, that Jesus is the Christ
marks a very high point in the Gospel of St. Mark’s trajectory. You recall that in many passages (preceding the
above passage) the identity of Jesus as Divine was somehow hidden through Markan
Secrecy. After the disciples had understood that Jesus was indeed Christ, i.e. the
Messiah, i.e. God, i.e. Divine. Then, Mark now wants to make them understand
the second nature of Christ and that is his humanity. And that is why in Last Sunday’s
passage as well as this Sunday’s Jesus talks of his inevitable suffering, death
and resurrection. (Remember that Mark’s Gospel has no infancy narratives, so
this is as low as we can get).
It is significant to note that this catechesis of Jesus
happens to them on THE WAY. The Way of course geographically is interpreted to
mean the way to Jerusalem, where Christ will eventually be killed. However,
there is also a deeper understanding of this WAY (Hodos) in this context,
particularly when we look at it theologically. Remember in the Gospel of John
when of of the disciples, Thomas asked, Lord,
we do not know where you are going how can we know the way? Jesus responded, that He is The Way, The Truth and the Life. So the
disciples just like us were on the way, in search of the truth. It is also
worth mentioning that the Early Christians, before they were called Christians
for the first time in Antioch, were referred as “followers of THE WAY.” (Acts
9: 1-2). This is perhaps why St. Josemaria Escriva, chose the title THE WAY for
his celebrated Christian masterpiece. (I hope you have read it and you are
still re-reading it). The journey of the disciples with Jesus is also our
journey. We are on the way with Jesus. And just like any other Safari we expect to meet different things
on the Way: Obstacles, setbacks, accidents, perhaps we may get lost and most
importantly as in any journey we expect to arrive at our destination. (There is a beautiful Swahili hymn on Safari Ya Mafanikio.)
On their journey, the disciples in today’s gospel
passage, made some the wrong turnings as is evidenced by today’s gospel passage. The
weakness of the disciples reminds us of our own weaknesses and imperfections as
Christians. For some weeks now, there have been a lot of reports about the
scandals that have rocked the Church particularly in the United States. We must
always remember that Church leaders being human have their own imperfections. But
luckily, the disciples had Jesus with them: The Way, The truth and the Life,
to guide them back on the right track. Jesus had spoken to them about his
impending suffering, death and resurrection but they did not understand and did
not even bother to ask. I am always
amazed by students in class, who many do not understand a concept, or what the
teacher is teaching but yet do not ask for clarifications or explanations. The
same can happen to us in our spiritual journey. Sometimes we are lost, but we don’t
bother getting help. Do not be afraid of asking Jesus questions, when we do not
understand some things in our lives.
On the way, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest
among them. They had paid little attention to what Jesus said and concentrated
on their own issues, on worldly issues. They were focused on honors and
greatness. They were too preoccupied with useless ambition and pride. As the second reading (James 3:16—4:3) puts it
clear, “Where jealousy and selfish
ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.” Pope Francis,
has repeatedly warned priests of clericalism and careerism in their priestly
ministry. In the major seminary sometimes, there is a tendency among the
seminarians to ask and even propose who among them is destined to be a bishop
or occupy some important place in the Church. In a video documentary Doing God’s Will on the life of the
Servant of God, Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga, the Servant of God, explained that though, he rose through the ranks of the Church to be a Cardinal. What he
always wished for and desired was to be “an
ordinary priest working in a parish.”
When they reached Capernaum, ( Etymologically: The city of consolation) Jesus called the
twelve aside in the house. It was more of a private audience. And Our Lord, of
course already aware about what they were arguing on the way, chose to inquire
from them what they were arguing about. But they remained silent. It was a
guilty silence. They were ashamed of their pride. In life there is always a
temptation to engage in futile discourses and activities. Just how much time we
waste on the unimportant things! How much time we waste on pride and vanity!
It is then that Christ sat down and began to
teach them about humility. “If anyone
wishes to be the first; he shall be the last of all and the servant of all,”
Jesus said. Then because he was a great teacher, (great teachers always use
teaching aids) he picked up a child and placed it in their midst just as the
cute couple placed a child in their midst in the Easy Coach bus: “Whosoever receives one child such as this in
my name receives me, and whosoever receives me, receives not me but the Father
who sent me.”
Why did Jesus use the example of a child to cure their pride? Children are known for their innocence, simplicity and purity and therefore they are the greatest models of purity. In the Jewish culture as it was in many African cultures children were also seen to be of little importance. In many African cultures, children were not even permitted to sit on chairs. They would always sit down on the floor, even if there was more than enough space on the seats.
So our spiritual homework for this week is to
strive to adopt the spiritual attitudes of children and to be be Child-like. Because when we are are child-like we
are also Christ-like. And when we are Christ-like we are God-like. For Jesus said,
“Whoever receives one child such as this
in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One
who sent me.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of
humility. She received the little child Jesus with great humility as is
exemplified by her song the Magnificant: “For
God looks on his servant with her lowliness”
One of the most powerful prayers on humility
is the Litany of Humility, attributed
to Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930). It is said that some people do
not have the courage to complete this prayer. I recommend it and post it below
for your private devotion:
LITANY
OF HUMILITY
Lord
Jesus. Meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From
the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From
the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That
others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That
others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That,
in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That
others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That
others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That
others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to
desire it.
That
others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I
should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
This an inspired reflection that makes me humble and generates in me the desire for my holiness and that of my brothers and sisters I journey with everyday. Thanks fr. Casmir
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