Sunday Reflection: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

1^st Reading      Isaiah 53:10-11
2^nd Reading     Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel             Mark 10:35-45

Am I still aware of why am I here in this world? Am I still in touched with my vocation as a Christian and as a person in my community? These are the question we have to ponder this Sunday. There are many of us who are now a bit confused of their vocation, in the family, community, in the faith. When we are not able to integrate everything in ourselves, we end up fulfilling nothing, we cannot live peacefully, and we continue to seek for answers that we will not find unless we go back to the reality of our being.

In our Gospel this Sunday, we hear of the request of James and John to Jesus, that He will grant them to sit at His right and the other on His left in His glory. So, Jesus asked them, “Do you know what you are asking?” Like James and John, we ask so many things from God thinking that these will make us better as a person or that they may give us happiness and contentment in life. We ask so much to the point that we ourselves do not know anymore who we are and what we want to be, or what is our goal. In response to their request Jesus asked them further, “Can you drink the cup that I will drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” Here Jesus points out to them and to us what does it mean to ask the Lord for all these things. He is telling us all, can these things help you follow me? Will all these things that you asked me immerse you to that life I want you to have? Will all the things you asked give you the fullness that I want you to have?

Here we can see that the aim of Jesus is to put the two disciples back to the reality of their calling. We ourselves are also challenged to go back to the reality of our lives, where are we now at this point in life? Are we still living the vocation we were called to live, or we already made another way for ourselves? Extending the message to the rest of His disciples who were indignant to these two brothers, Jesus points out that greatness for us is in service, not in being served. Whoever wishes to be great should ground himself/herself in the humility of the Son of Man who came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The 1^st Reading reminds us of this, that the Suffering Servant will justify many through His suffering, and He will see His descendants in a long life and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through Him. The greatness of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah is in His suffering for all His people. Our 2^nd Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to hold fast to our profession of faith, to hold fast to Jesus, our High Priest. We are confident to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace because our high priest is able to sympathize with us because He endured everything, He was tested in every way but did not sin. So, we can also be free of all sins and win over all temptations through Jesus. Our vocation is to follow Him. In Him we can have the fullness of life and be able to overcome all things. May we, then , be faithful and true to our calling and there we will be able to find peace and security.