Meditation

The biblical readings today present us with the theme of service and call us to follow Jesus on the path of humility and the cross.

The prophet Isaiah describes the figure of the Servant of the Lord (53:10-11) and his mission of salvation. He is a figure who does not boast of illustrious lineage; he is despised, shunned by all, and an expert in suffering. He is not credited with grandiose achievements or famous speeches, but he carries out God's plan through a humble and silent presence and through his own suffering. Indeed, his mission is accomplished through suffering, which allows him to understand those who suffer, to bear the burden of others' sins, and to atone for them. The exclusion and suffering of the Servant of the Lord, prolonged even unto death, prove fruitful to the point of redeeming and saving multitudes.

Jesus is the Servant of the Lord: his life and death, entirely in the form of service (cf. Phil 2:7), were the cause of our salvation and the reconciliation of humanity with God. The kerygma, the heart of the Gospel, testifies that in his death and resurrection the prophecies of the Servant of the Lord were fulfilled. The account of Saint Mark describes the scene of Jesus grappling with the disciples James and John, who—supported by their mother—wanted to sit at his right and left in the kingdom of God (cf. Mk 10:37), claiming places of honor according to their hierarchical vision of the kingdom itself. The perspective from which they place themselves is still revealed to be tainted by dreams of earthly fulfillment. Jesus then gives a first “shake” to these convictions of the disciples by reminding them of his path on this earth: “The cup that I am going to drink, you will drink… but to sit at my right and left is not for me to grant; There are those for whom this has been prepared” (vv. 39-40). With the image of the cup, he assures both of them the possibility of sharing his destiny of suffering to the very end, without, however, guaranteeing the coveted positions of honor. His response is an invitation to follow him on the path of love and service, rejecting the worldly temptation to excel and command others.

Faced with people who scheme to gain power and success, to be seen, faced with people who want their personal merits and works to be recognized, the disciples are called to do the opposite. He therefore warns them: “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (vv. 42-44). With these words, he indicates service as the style of authority in the Christian community. Those who serve others and are truly without prestige exercise true authority in the Church. Jesus invites us to change our mindset and move from the lust for power to the joy of disappearing and serving; to eradicate the instinct to dominate others and to cultivate the virtue of humility.

And after presenting a model not to be imitated, he offers himself as the ideal to which to refer. In the Master's attitude, the community will find the motivation for a new perspective on life: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (v. 45). In the biblical tradition, the Son of Man is the one who receives from God "dominion, glory, and a kingdom" (Dan. 7:14). Jesus fills this image with new meaning and clarifies that he has power as a servant, glory as one capable of humility, and royal authority as his willingness to give his life completely. Indeed, it is through his passion and death that he attains the lowest place, reaches the pinnacle of greatness in service, and offers it to his Church.

There is an incompatibility between conceiving power according to worldly criteria and the humble service that should characterize authority according to the teaching and example of Jesus. There is an incompatibility between ambition, careerism, and following Christ; an incompatibility between honors, success, reputation, earthly triumphs, and the logic of the crucified Christ. On the contrary, there is a compatibility between Jesus, “an expert in suffering,” and our suffering. The Letter to the Hebrews, which presents Christ as the high priest who shares in all our human condition, except sin, reminds us of this: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are—yet he did not sin” (4:15). Jesus essentially exercises a priesthood of mercy and compassion. He has directly experienced our difficulties; he knows our human condition from within. Not having experienced sin does not prevent him from understanding sinners. His glory is not that of ambition or thirst for power, but it is the glory of loving men, of assuming and sharing their weakness and offering them the grace that heals, of accompanying them with infinite tenderness, of accompanying them on their path of suffering.

Each of us, as baptized Christians, participates in the priesthood of Christ in our own unique way; the lay faithful in the common priesthood, and priests in the ministerial priesthood. All of us can therefore receive the charity that flows from his open Heart, both for ourselves and for others, by becoming channels of his love and compassion, especially for all those who are suffering, anguished, discouraged, and lonely.

Those who have been proclaimed saints today constantly served their brothers and sisters with extraordinary humility and charity, thus imitating the divine Master. Saint Vincent Grossi was a zealous parish priest, always attentive to the needs of his parishioners, especially the vulnerabilities of young people. He fervently broke the bread of the Word for everyone and became a Good Samaritan to the most needy.

Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, drawing from the sources of prayer and contemplation, personally lived in great humility the service of the least among us, with particular attention to the children of the poor and the sick.

The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie Azélie Guérin lived Christian service in the family, building day after day an atmosphere full of faith and love; and in this climate the vocations of their daughters germinated, among them Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

The shining witness of these new Saints inspires us to persevere on the path of joyful service to our brothers and sisters, trusting in God's help and the maternal protection of Mary. May they now watch over us from heaven and sustain us with their powerful intercession!

HOMILY OF POPE FRANCIS

Saint Peter's Square

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time,

October 18, 2015

MASS AND CANONIZATIONS OF THE BLESSED:

- VINCENT GROSSI

- MARY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

- LOUIS MARTIN AND MARIE AZÉLIE GUÉRIN