Wednesday, 11th March

Matthew 20:17–28

While
Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by
themselves, and said to them on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and
they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to
be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling
before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?”
She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your
right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom”. But Jesus answered, “You do
not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to
drink?'' They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed
drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to
grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When
the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them
to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but
whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes
to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

 

Reflection

In my prayer, I recall how often I asked God to
glorify me as the
mother of the sons of Zebedee did? 

How does Jesus respond to
my requests?  Can I feel the gentleness
of his reply?