There have been many times in my life when I have felt overwhelmed! With work, family, life’s challenges and seemingly impossible situations. Still the Lord saw me through it all, He was with me. All I needed to do was to be in His presence and be attentive to His will for me. Even serving others when it didn’t seem I had the time. So long as I was faithful He was ever present.
Of course there were times when I turned to the distractions of the world instead of remaining steadfast in Him. In those times I lost the peace that only He can give. In His great love, He forgave me when I turned back to Him. Fully reconciled and grace filled, I could once again serve Him and Brethren.
Let us choose to follow after the humble heart of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ; take up our cross and follow after Him. Serving the least of our Brethren as we are called to. Amen
Saint James, Apostle Pray for us…
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First reading
2 Corinthians 4:7-15
Such an overwhelming power comes from been God and not from us
We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are consigned to our death every day, for the sake of Jesus, so that in our mortal flesh the life of Jesus, too, may be openly shown. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
But as we have the same spirit of faith that is mentioned in scripture – I believed, and therefore I spoke – we too believe and therefore we too speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.
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Gospel
Matthew 20:20-28
‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’
The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants 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 as a ransom for many.’
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