Reading I
Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17


Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
    look upon us, show us the light of your mercies,
    and put all the nations in dread of you!
Thus they will know, as we know,
    that there is no God but you, O Lord.

Give new signs and work new wonders.

Gather all the tribes of Jacob,
    that they may inherit the land as of old,
Show mercy to the people called by your name;
    Israel, whom you named your firstborn.
Take pity on your holy city,
    Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty,
    your temple with your glory.

Give evidence of your deeds of old;
    fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name,
Reward those who have hoped in you,
    and let your prophets be proved true.
Hear the prayer of your servants,
    for you are ever gracious to your people;
    and lead us in the way of justice.
Thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth
    that you are the eternal God.


Responsorial Psalm
79:8, 9, 11 and 13


R.    (Sirach 36:1b)  Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.


Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
    may your compassion quickly come to us,
    for we are brought very low.


R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.


Help us, O God our savior,
    because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
    for your name’s sake.


R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.


Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
    with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    through all generations we will declare your praise.


R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.


Alleluia
Mk 10:45


R.    Alleluia, alleluia.


The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.


R.    Alleluia, alleluia.


GOSPEL
Mk 10:32-45

The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man
will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, 
and they will condemn him to death
and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise.”
Then 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.”
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 chalice that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to him, ‘We can.”
Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at 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 as a ransom for many.”


REFLECTION:

Anyone who follows Jesus must be, not a slave of Jesus, but ‘a slave of all.’ A slave usually does the bidding of one single owner. By saying that his followers must become the ‘slaves of all, Jesus is emphasizing the idea of indiscriminate love and service. That will be my Passion.

PRAYER: 

Jesus, the words used to describe what will happen to you are appalling: ‘handed over; condemned; handed over again; mocked; spat upon; flogged; killed.’ And you were willing to endure all this for me!