Presider: Fr. John Puodziunas OFM Parish: Assumption BVM Province Choir: St. Andrews www.MySundayMass.org Gospel and Homily THE LORD BE WITH YOU. AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT. A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK GLORY TO YOU O LORD JAMES AND JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE CAME TO JESUS AND SAID TO HIM TEACHER WE WANT YOU TO DO FOR US WHATEVER WE ASK OF YOU AND HE REPLIED, WHAT DO YOU WISH ME TO DO FOR YOU THEY ANSWERED HIM, GRANT THAT IN YOUR GLORY WE MAY SIT ONE AT YOUR RIGHT AND THE OTHER AT YOUR LEFT JESUS SAID TO THEM, YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP THAT I DRINK OR BE BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM WITH WHICH I AM BAPTIZED AND THEY SAID WE CAN. JESUS SAID TO THEM THE CUP THAT I DRINK YOU WILL DRINK AND WITH THE BAPTISM WITH WHICH I AM BAPTIZED BUT TO SIT AT RIGHT OR AT MY LEFT IS NOT MINE TO GIVE BUT IT IS FOR THOSE FOR WHOM IT HAS BEEN PREPARED WHEN THE TEN HEARD THIS THEY BECAME INDIGNANT WITH JAMES AND JOHN. JESUS SUMMONED THEM AND SAID TO THEM. 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 FOR A RANSOM OF THE MANY. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD. PRAISE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST DO NOT SEEK TO BE THE FIRST IN LINE, DO NOT SEEK TO BE FIRST DO NOT SEEK TO BE GREAT SEEK INSTEAD TO BE A SLAVE A SERVANT, FOR MOST OF US THIS ISN'T MUSIC TO OUR EARS I DON'T THINK FOR WHO WANTS TO BE A SLAVE OR A SERVANT TO ALL OTHERS BUT YET IS THAT NOT WE IN THIS WORLD ENSLAVED TO SO MANY THINGS. WE CAN BE ENSLAVED TO OUR JOB, WHICH TAKES US AWAY FROM FAMILY, THOSE WE LOVE, FROM REST EVEN FROM PRAYER. WE CAN BE ENSLAVED TO THE INTERNET AND TO THOSE LITTLE BOXES WHERE WE EXERCISE OUR THUMBS THE ENSLAVEMENTS OF THIS WORLD ARE FORCED UPON US WE DO NOT CHOOSE THEM OFTEN TIMES. THEY ARE FORCED UPON US AND THAT'S WHY WE RESENT THEM AND THAT'S WHY IT'S DIFFICULT TO HEAR WHEN JESUS SAYS, BE A SERVANT BE A SLAVE, BUT HIS ENSLAVEMENT IS DIFFERENT. HE ISN'T HERE TO FORCE IT ON US. HE IS HERE TO OFFER IT TO US. A FREE OFFERING SO THAT WE CAN FREELY RECEIVE IT HE OFFERS US TO BE ENSLAVED BY THE GOSPEL, TO BE A DISCIPLE WHERE WE ALLOW THE LOVE OF GOD TO ENSLAVE US IN EVERY WAY WE CAN IMAGE FREELY OFFERING WE MUST FREELY RECEIVE THE OFFERING IS FOR US TO BE ENSLAVED BY GODS MERCY. A MERCY THAT IS NOT THE LOVE WE HEAR ABOUT ON A PHRASE ON A HALLMARK CARD OR A LOVE OF SOME PASSING KIND GESTURE FOR TODAY. BUT A COMMITMENT THAT GOD'S LOVE ENDURES EVERYTHING EVEN WHEN WE TURN AWAY FROM IT. ENSLAVED BY GOD'S MERCY, WE BECOME SERVANTS OF THAT MERCY AND ARE CALLED TO SHOW MERCY THEN TO OTHERS THAT'S THE GOSPEL GOD INVITES US TO BE ENSLAVED BY HIS FORGIVENESS WHEN WE REALIZE THAT OUR MISTAKES AND OUR SHORTCOMINGS EVEN OUR SINFULNESS IS NOT ETERNAL AND DOESN'T SHUT OFF AND SPIGOT OF GOD'S LOVE AND MERCY. BUT OPENS THE FLOOD GATES TO THAT LOVE AND MERCY CAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE NEED IT MOST AND WHEN WE ARE FLOODED WITH GOD'S MERCY WE ARE THEN SERVANT TO THAT FORGIVENESS CALLED TO FORGIVE THOSE WHOM WE SAY WE LOVE. THOSE WHO HAVE HURT US. THOSE WHO HAVE DISAPPOINTED US THOSE IN OUR FAMILIES AND AMONGST OUR FRIENDS TO TAKE THAT EVER SO DIFFICULT STEP OF FORGIVENESS WE ARE INVITED THROUGH THE GOSPEL TO BE ENSLAVED WITH GOD'S GIFT OF PEACE TO KNOW A CALM THAT IS BEYOND ANYTHING WE CAN IMAGINE. TO KNOW THAT IN THE MIDST OF OUR EARTHLY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS IN THE MIDST OF OUR DIFFICULTIES IN THE MIDST OF THE SORROW AND PAIN WE ARE NOT ALONE BUT IT IS PRECISELY THERE THAT GOD IS PRESENT TO US AND WE KNOW PEACE THEN ENSLAVED WITH THAT PEACE WE ARE CALLED TO BE SERVANT OF IT TO BECOME INSTRUMENTS OF DELIVERANCE OF THAT GIFT OF PEACE TO A CHAOTIC TROUBLED WORLD TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. AND SO MY FRIENDS WE PRAY WITH THE SCRIPTURES THIS WEEK TO FREE OURSELVES FROM WHATEVER IT IS IN THIS WORLD THAT ENSLAVES US AND TO WELCOME WITH OPEN HEARTS, THE ENSLAVEMENT OF THE GOSPEL A DRENCHING OF GOD'S LOVE UPON US SO THAT WE CAN SHOWER THAT LOVE IN MERCY, FORGIVENESS, IN PEACE TO THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE AND SO WE OPEN OUR WORSHIP AIDES TO PAGE 33 AND TOGETHER PRAY THE APOSTLES CREED

• published: 17 Oct 2015
• views: 5379