SEPTEMBER 22ND 2024.

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

FIRST READING  
“Let us condemn him to a shameful death.”
WISDOM 2: 12, 17 – 20

[Ungodly men said:] “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. “Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God’s son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected.”

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 54: 3 – 4, 5, 6 and 8 (R.) 6b

R/. Behold, the Lord is the upholder of my life.

O God, save me by your name;
by your power, defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth. R/.

For the proud have risen against me,
and the ruthless seek my life.
They have no regard for God. R/.

See, I have God for my help.
The Lord sustains my soul.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart,
and praise your name, for it is good. R/.

SECOND READING
“The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
JAMES 3: 16 – 4: 3

Beloved: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The Word of the Lord.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
2nd Thessalonians 2: 14

Alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia.

GOSPEL       
“The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men. If anyone would be first, he must be the servant of all.”
MARK 9: 30 – 37

At that time: Jesus and his disciples went on from the mountain and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the Twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

*Svondo 22 Gunyana – September;**Svondo yemakumi maviri neyechishanu yegore – B**Chiverengo chokutanga:* _Ungwaru 2,12.17-20__Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku roUngwaru_Vakaipa vakati: 12 “Ngatihwandirei munhu akarurama, nokuti anotitadzisa kuita madiro, nokuti anopesana nezvatinoita, anotipa mhosva yokudarika mutemo, achitipawo mhosva yokupandukira zvatakadzidziswa.17 Ngationei kana kutaura kwake kuri chokwadi, tione pakupera kwoupenyu hwake kunowira tsvimbo nedohwe. 18 Kana akarurama ari mwana waMwari, achamubatsira, achimununura mumaoko avavengi vake.19 Ngatimuedzei nokumunyomba nokumurwadzisa, tione kupfava kwake ikoko, timuedze kuzvibata kwake mukutambudzwa. 20 Ngatimutii afe rufu runonyadzisa, nokuti iye anoti anodzivirirwa.”*Shoko raTenzi.**Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:* _Nziyo 54,1-2.3.4+6. (D – 4)_*(D) – Mwari ndiye mubatsiri woupenyu hwangu.*1 Imi Mwari, ndinunureiwo nezita renyu,nesimba renyu mundipembedze.2 Inzwaiwo munamato wangu,teereraiwo mazwi omuromo wangu.*(D) – Mwari ndiye mubatsiri woupenyu hwangu.*3 Madzenga avanhu andimukira,mharadzi dzinoda kundiuraya.Havana hanya nezvokuti kuna Mwari.*(D) – Mwari ndiye mubatsiri woupenyu hwangu.*4 Chinzwai, Mwari ndiye mubatsiri wangu.TENZI ndiye muchengeti, woupenyu hwangu.6 Ini ndichapira chibayiro, chokupa nomwoyo wangu;ndichatenda zita renyu nokuti rakanaka.*(D) – Mwari ndiye mubatsiri woupenyu hwangu.**Chiverengo chechipiri:* _Jemusi 3,16—4,3__Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yaJemusi_16 Hama dzangu, pane shanje noundingoveni hwakaipa, panoita nyonganyonga nokuita kwose kwakashata. 17 Asi ungwaru hunobva kudenga, pokutanga hutsvene kwouya kuti ndehwerugare nemwoyo murefu, hunonzwisisa, uye huzere tsitsi, hune michero yakanaka husina chinokahadzisa kana chinonyengedza. 18 Muchero woururami unodyarwa murugare navawadzanisi.1 Chii chinokonzera hondo, uye chii chinokonzera kurwisana pakati penyu? Hadzisi havi dzenyu here dzinokonzera kurwisana mukati memitezo yenyu? 2 Munoda chinhu motadza kuchiwana nezvo munobva monouraya. Munochiva chinhu asi motadza kuchiwana nezvo morwa zvokuita hondo. Hamuwani chinhu nokuti hamukumbiri. 3 Kana mukakumbira hamuwane nokuti hamukumbiri nenzira kwayo muchitoda zvenyu kuzvipedzera muhavi dzenyu.*Shoko raTenzi.**Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:* _2 VaTesaronika 2,14_*Areruya, Areruya.* Nokuparidzirwa Shoko Rakanaka Mwari akatidaidza kuti tiwane mbiri yaTenzi wedu Jesu Kristu. *Areruya.**Shoko Rakanaka:* _Mariko 9,30-37__Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMariko_30 Jesu navadzidzi vake pavakabva mugomo, vakapfuura nomuGarirea, asi akanga asingadi kuti zvizivikanwe naani zvake; 31 nokuti aidzidzisa vadzidzi vake achiti kwavari:“Mwanakomana womunhu achaiswa mumaoko avanhu vachizomuuraya.Kana auraiwa achamukazve mushure memazuva matatu.”32 Asi havana kunzwisisa zvaakataura, uye vakatya kumubvunza. 33 Zvino vakasvika Kapenaumu. Vava mumba akavabvunza achiti, “Manga muchiitirana nharo dzei munzira?” 34 Vakaramba vanyerere, nokuti munzira vakanga vachiitirana nharo dzokuti ndiani mukuru kupinda vose.35 Akati agara pasi, akadaidza vane gumi navaviri akati kwavari,“Kana munhu achida kuva wokutanga anofanira kuva wokupedzisira pana vose; agove mushandiri wavose.”36 Akazotora mwana muduku; akamuisa pakati pavo, akamugumbatira mumaoko akati kwavari,37 “Ani naani anogamuchira mumwe wavana vaduku vakadai muzita rangu, anogamuchira ini.Uye ani naani anondigamuchira haasi kugamuchira ini asi anogamuchira, uyo akandituma.”*Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Greatness of Holiness
September 22, 2024

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. (Mark 9:33–34)

One of the desires that we all have is for greatness. This is a good and natural desire. This desire is manifested in competitiveness in sports and games. It becomes a driving force in business and politics. It drives us to do better in life, such as in school, artistic endeavors, and hobbies, working hard to perfect various skills and talents so as to excel. The problem is that every good and natural desire we have is now disordered to a certain degree because of original sin. As a result, the desire we have for greatness can become an obsession, a cause of discouragement when we fail, a source of jealousy when others appear to do better, and can lead us to pursue empty and fleeting goals in life.

Even within the life of faith, we can be affected by both the natural desire for greatness and the fallenness of that desire. The natural desire for greatness, when mingled with faith, will lead us to the desire to be a saint and to do great things for the Kingdom of God. But as a fallen natural quality, we can also fall into the trap of seeing ourselves in competition with others within the Church, and we can become jealous of those who appear to be holy and who are recognized for their good work for Christ.

Just prior to the passage quoted above in which the disciples were discovered to have been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest, Jesus predicted to them, for the second time, that He would suffer and die. Recall that after the first prediction of His passion, Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. Perhaps some of the other disciples became jealous of this apparent special treatment. Then, after Jesus predicted His passion to them for the second time, they might have wondered if some of them would likewise share in a similar experience as the Transfiguration.

Regardless of what motivated the disciples to argue among themselves about who was the greatest, the fact remains that they did so. This was not the result of a holy and purified desire. It was the result of a good desire for greatness that became distorted and turned into an unholy competition based on jealousy and selfishness.

In Heaven, we will all know who is the greatest. Interestingly, the Scriptures, the official Church teachings, and many of the saints reveal to us that there will be levels of glory in Heaven. This is why Jesus said elsewhere, “Store up treasure in Heaven” (Matthew 6:20). In Heaven, each of us will be perfectly happy. But each of us will also share in God’s glory in varying degrees, based upon the merit of our charity on earth. The classic example of this is that if every soul is like a glass of water in Heaven, then every glass will be full. But some glasses will be larger than others and will be able to contain more water (glory). For this reason, we must remember that the natural desire for greatness is good, but it must be properly ordered by grace. That desire must not become as it was among the disciples who saw each other as competitors. Instead, it must be directed to the deepest desire for holiness and charity. In Heaven, we will all be in awe of those holy souls who are filled with the greatest depths of glory forever. Most likely, they will be widely unknown on earth, but loved and admired in Heaven for the greatness of their holiness.

Reflect, today, upon the desire within your own soul for greatness. Pray that this desire will not fall into selfishness or lead you to see others as competitors. Instead, pray that your desire for greatness will lead you to holiness so that you will be able to store up for yourself the most abundant treasures in Heaven and radiate that glory forever.

PRAYER:
Most glorious Lord, You are Greatness Itself. You are our eternal glory. I thank You for the natural desire for greatness that has been instilled within my soul. Please purify that desire, and help me to direct it toward holiness so that I will be able to store up in Heaven the many treasures You wish to bestow. Jesus, I trust in You.*GOSPEL REFLECTION: The Greatness of Holiness*