1ST PETER 1: 15 – 25

Beloved: You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake. Through him you have confidence in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord abides for ever.” That word is the good news which was preached to you.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 147: 12 – 13, 14 – 15, 19 – 20 (R.) 12a

R/. O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!
Or: 
Alleluia.

O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!
O Sion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you. R/.

He established peace on your borders;
he gives you your fill of finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth,
and swiftly runs his command. R/.

He reveals his word to Jacob;
to Israel, his decrees and judgements.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his judgements. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 
Mark 10: 45

Alleluia.
The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL         
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered.’’
MARK 10: 32 – 45

At that time: The disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the Twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the Ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Chitatu 29 Chivabvu – May;

Vhiki 8 regore

Chiverengo chokutanga:
1 Pita 1,18-25

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba yokutanga yaPita
18 Vadikanwi, munoziva kuti makadzikinurwa
kunzira dzisina maturo dzamakawana kumadzibaba
enyu, kwete nezvinhu zvinoparara sesirivha kana
ndarama, 19 asi neropa rinokosha raKristu serehwayana isina chinoshoreka kana kavara. 20Akasarudzwa pasi pasati pavapo, akazoratidzwa pokupedzisira kwenguva kuri kuitira imi. 21 Nokuna iye,
munechivimbo muna Mwari akamumutsa kuvafi
akamupa mbiri kuti chitendero chenyu nechitarisiro
zvive muna Mwari.
22Zvino zvamakachenesa mweya yenyu nokuteerera
kwenyu chokwadi kuti muve norudo rwechokwadi
kune vehama; idanai zvechokwadi nemwoyo wose.
23 Makazvarwa patsva kwete nembeu dzinofa, asi
dzisingafi nokuShoko benyu raMwari risingafi
rinogara nokusingaperi 24 nokuti,
“Vanhu vose uswa, mbiri yavo yakaita samaruva
omusango, uswa hunouna,” ruva rinodonha
25 asi Shoko raTenzi rinogara nokusingaperi.
Shoko iroro ndiro Shoko Rakanaka
rakaparidzwa kwamuri.
Shoko raTenzi.

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:
Nziyo 147,12-13.14-15.19-20. (D – 12)

(D) – Rumbidza TENZI, iwe Jerusaremu
12 Rumbidza TENZI, Jerusaremu;
rumbidza Mwari wako iwe Zioni,
13 nokuti anosimbisa zvihuri zvemisuwo yako
mikuru, anokomborera vana vari mauri.
(D) – Rumbidza TENZI, iwe Jerusaremu.
14 Anopa nyika yako rugare,
anokugutsa nembeswa dzakanakisisa.
15 Anotuma chirevo kunyika,
shoko rake rinobva ramhanya nokukasika.
(D) – Rumbidza TENZI, iwe Jerusaremu.
19 Akataura mazwi ake kune vekwaJakobho,
nemirao nezvirevo zvake kuvaIsiraeri.
20 Haana kumboita zvakadai norumwe rudzi.
Havazivi zvirevo zvake.
(D) – Rumbidza TENZI, iwe Jerusaremu.

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:
Mariko 10,45

Areruya, Areruya. Mwanakomana womunhu
haana kuuya kuzoshandirwa,
asi kuzoshandira vamwe, uye kuzopira upenyu
hwake sorudzikinuro rwavazhinji. Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Mariko 10,32-45

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naMariko
32 Jesu navadzidzi vake vari munzira, vachikwira
kuJerusaremu. Jesu aifamba ari mberi kwavo.
Zvakavashamisa kwazvo. Vaitevera vakatya.
Akazotora vane gumi navaviri akatanga kuvaudza
zvaizoitika kwaari achiti,
33 “Chinzwai, tava kukwira kuJerusaremu;
Mwanakomana womunhu achaiswa mumaoko
avapristi vakuru, nenyanzvi dzoMutemo;
vachamutongera rufu;
vachimuisawo mumaoko evechirudzi;
34 vachamunyomba;
vachimusvipira mate nokumurova
zvakanyanya; vozomuuraya.
Asi mushure memazuva matatu achamukazve.”
35 Jemusi naJohani vanakomana vaZebhedhi
vakauya kuna Jesu vakati, “Mudzidzisi tinoda kuti
mutiitirewo chero chatinenge takukumbirai.”
36 Akati kwavari, “Munoda kuti ndikuitireiko?” Ivo
vakati kwaari, 37 “Tibvumirei kuti, mumbiri yenyu,
tizogara takati mumwe kurudyi rwenyu mumwe
kuruboshwe rwenyu.”
38 Jesu akavapindura achiti, “Hamuzivi zvamurikukumbira. Munogona here kunwa mukombe
wandinonwa ini kana kuombekwa noruombeko
rwandinoombekwa narwo ini?” 39 Ivo vakati kwaari,
“Tinogona.” Jesu akati kwavari, “Hongu mukombe wandinonwa ini, muchanwa noruombeko rwandinoombekwa narwo muchaombekwawo narwo;
40 asi zvokugara kurudyi rwangu kana kuti kuruboshwe rwangu handisirini ndinozvipa, ndokweavo
vakakugadzirirwa.”
41 Zvino vamwe gumi vaya, pavakazvinzwa vakatsamwira vana Jemusi naJohani.
42 Jesu akavadaidza akavati, “Munoziva kuti kune
vechirudzi vanonzi vatongi vaya, pakutonga vanoita zvechisimba, uye vakuru vakuru vavo vanoita
zvomukundo. 43 Asi pakati penyu hazvifaniri
kudaro. Asi uyo anenge achida kuva mukuru pakati
penyu ngaave mushandiri wenyu. 44 Uye ani naani
anoda kuve wokutanga pakati penyu, anofanira
kuve muranda wavose. 45 Nokuti kunyange Mwanakomana womunhu haana kuuya kuzoshandirwa,
asi kuzoshandira vamwe, uye kuzopira upenyu
hwake sorudzikinuro rwavazhinji.”
Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29TH 2024.

EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

FIRST READING      
You have been ransomed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish.
GOSPEL REFLECTION: Greatness in Holy Servitude
May 29, 2024

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.” (Mark 10:35–37)

James and John were feeling quite bold. Their boldness may have come, in part, from the fact that they had become very familiar with the goodness of Jesus. He was unlike any other, and His genuineness was very evident to them. Therefore, they allowed themselves to slip into the trap of taking Jesus’ goodness for granted by seeking a selfish favor from our Lord. Jesus’ response is gentle and thoughtful, and, in the end, James and John are somewhat humbled by their attempt to obtain this selfish favor when the other disciples become “indignant” at their request.

Jesus summarizes His response to these disciples this way: “…whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Jesus, of course, was especially speaking about Himself. He was the greatest and the first among them. And for that reason, Jesus humbled Himself as their servant and the “slave of all.” Normally, the idea of being a slave has very negative connotations. Slavery is an abuse of the dignity of another. It’s a way of discarding the dignity of the person. But, nonetheless, Jesus says that the ideal way to be truly great is to become a slave of all.

When literal slavery is imposed upon another, this is a grave abuse. But there is another form of holy slavery of which Jesus is speaking. For Jesus, a holy slavery is one in which we give ourselves to another in a sacrificial way out of love. And this is what Jesus did to perfection. His death on the Cross was a true physical death. It was a sacrifice of His earthly life, but it was done freely and for the purpose of setting others free. In referring to Himself, Jesus explains His holy “slavery” when He says, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus’ greatness is first found in the simple fact that He is God. But His greatness is made most manifest in His human nature when He gives His life “as a ransom for many.” It is the Cross that becomes the greatest act of loving service ever known. The fruit of His selfless sacrifice is the salvation of all who turn to Him. Thus, Jesus turns slavery and death into the greatest act of love ever known.

Reflect, today, upon your own calling to live a life of holy slavery. How is God calling you to sacrificially give yourself to others out of love? From a purely human point of view, the idea of sacrifice, servitude and even holy slavery is hard to comprehend. But when we use Jesus as the model, it becomes much clearer. Look for ways in which you can give yourself to others selflessly and know that the more you can imitate our Lord in this holy endeavor, the greater your life will be.

PRAYER:
Lord of all holiness, Your greatness was made manifest in Your human nature by Your act of perfect servitude when You freely chose to die for the sins of those who turn to You for redemption. You humbled Yourself, taking on the form of a slave, so that all could be set free. Help me to always trust in Your great love and to continually open myself to the gift of redemption You offer. Jesus, I trust in You.