Isaiah 53:10-11 / Psalm 33 / Hebrews 4:14-16 / Mark 10:35-45
In the last 15 days I've had 8 funerals, so many I almost have the funeral book memorized. One of the things that we say in the Eucharistic prayer at a funeral is this, “Grant that he (or she) who was united with your Son in a death like His, may also be one with Him in his Resurrection…”
It's a beautiful prayer, but “a death like His”? I mean, maybe in broad terms, but Jesus died a pretty horrific death if you think about it, do any of us really die a death like His?
A way that I like to think of it instead is in terms of sacrifice throughout our lives. What have we sacrificed for God? A death like His through dying to self. How do we die to ourselves, to our selfish desires, for the good of our families especially, and sometimes our friends even, to help them instead of helping ourselves?
I was talking to a friend yesterday who told me about a couple he knows well that have been married 27 years, three kids, and they are getting a divorce because he wants to travel and she doesn’t. That’s it, that’s the core of the divorce, and I think, can’t you both just sacrifice a little here for the good of your children??? And he knows he is being selfish, he told my friend that, he just wants what he wants now.
In a world that values pleasure, power and prestige, it makes sense that this would be a conflict, from what the world values to what God values. Our first reading was a prophecy of the coming of Jesus, part of the “Suffering Servant” prophecy. Our world doesn’t value either Suffering or being a Servant, but this is what Jesus did and calls us to do.
And if it is difficult for us, or maybe I should say when it is difficult for us, we are supposed tp take it to God, just as our second reading said, “Since we have a great high priest…, 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... So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”
So when we are in a position where we are forced to Suffer or Serve for love of others, we have to look at Him and take it to prayer for help, full of confidence, like children who look to their parents for help. We are God’s beloved children, that is our primary identity, so we have to look to Him in our need.
That’s what we heard in our first reading, “If he (Jesus, the Suffering Servant) gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life,” we are adopted into God’s family and therefore descendants of Jesus, children of God, so we have to go to God like children go to their parents for help.
Because we can’t be like James and John who wanted these places of honor, to be respected for their authority or whatever glory they were looking for. This isn’t what the Kingdom of God is all about. This is how Jesus responded to them and the others: “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.”
We are called to give our lives and serve too. In my family, mom wanted to travel but dad didn’t. Even still, dad got his passport, and then Covid hit, and my mom passed away two years later, dad regrets that. He also regrets not serving her more, he says it is the father’s responsibility to serve and die to self in that way. He wishes he would have served her more, but there are no do-overs. But he did serve us, they both did, I watched my parents go back to work late at night to support us, they were both self-employed so they could do that. Later I realized later they gave up a lot socially to serve us kids and to serve our community, for the church and for Tama-Toledo as well.
As a priest, I’m called to serve too, I’m ordained to serve, this collar isn’t a free ticket to anything I want, although I appreciate I haven’t had to buy a meal yet at Kalmes, I don’t expect everyone to always serve me either.
No, it is my desire to serve you, especially in the Sacraments, but also in prayer, and this is why the question for this week on the survey is, “how can I pray for you?” Oh sure I’ll serve you in worldly things too like opening doors and such, but realistically I am called to serve your spiritual needs as best as I can do, to conform myself to Jesus Christ and intercede on your behalf.