24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Is 50:4-9
Ps 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
Jas 2:14-18
Mk 8:27-35

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the “Sunday Soundbite” for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the 1930s, a young writer in New York City was struggling to publish a novel. As World War II broke out in Europe, he looked into his own heart as well as the headlines and produced a soul-searching examination of human violence and war. Unfortunately, his novel remained unpublished for years.

The author? Thomas Merton, the most prominent Catholic author of the twentieth century. His wartime novel, My Argument with the Gestapo, was finally published years after Merton became a Trappist monk and had written many spiritual books.

Merton’s insight into war and peace are echoed in today’s second reading from the Letter of James. There, the author explores where wars and conflicts originate. He tells us that violence starts from within the human heart. But from God comes the possibility of peace.

Jesus offers us the way to peace in the Gospel today, inviting us to put ourselves last, as servants. Let us “cultivate peace” in our hearts, our communities, our world.

Scripture:

•The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. (Isaiah 50:4c,5)

•For he has freed my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. (Psalm 116:8)

•What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14)

•“…For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35)

Reflection:

•What is a disciple?

•How do you become a disciple?

•The Church has been described as a “community of disciples.” Do you agree?

•What other models of Church are there?

It is evident that discipleship is a wide and flexible concept. For the Church as a whole to practice discipleship in its full range, there must be a variety of gifts and vocations. The Gospels present us with the images of Martha, Mary, Peter and John, contrasting pairs that have been interpreted by tradition as embodying the ideals of the active and contemplative life. But notwithstanding all this variety, there is a proportionately common element, the norm of which is given in Christ. All are held to self-abnegation, humble service, generosity towards the needy, and patience in adversity.