WEDNESDAY OF THE EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME MEMORIAL SAINT PHILIP NERI MAY 26, 2021

MASS READINGS:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 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

'Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

Does this request sound familiar? The apostles John and James said this to Jesus. We sometimes say the same to Jesus in prayer.

Entitlement is the word that pops in my mind. My prayers are many times said with a sense of "why would God not answer my prayers? They are for good and not bad". I find myself with resentment, loss of faith or hope, presumptuousness, unforgiveness and sometimes "sunbathing" in self pity if my wish is not answered. Pride takes over and in turn pride can be the doorway for other sins. And my pride can lead others to sin as well. When the ten heard this they became indignant.

St Philip Neri, a humorous, charitable, obedient, and joyful saint is the celebrated saint for today. He believed humility (opposite of pride) was the best virtue. He was called "Pippo Buono" or good little Phil. He had a jovial, docile and happy manner. His desire was always to have close human bonds with others and was good for practical jokes. He sensed the different ways to bring people to God. But most important was that he strove for and practiced humility.

One of his famous quotes was, "He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works, and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing."

Philip Neri

God Bless You