Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Entrance Antiphon

To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God;

turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Guard me as the apple of your eye;

in the shadow of your wings protect me.

First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11. A reading from the prophet Isaiah

If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, and have long life.

The Lord has been pleased to crush his servant with suffering.

If he offers his life in atonement,

he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life

and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.

His soul’s anguish over

he shall see the light and be content.

By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,

taking their faults on himself.

Responsorial Psalm: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

The word of the Lord is faithful

and all his works to be trusted.

The Lord loves justice and right

and fills the earth with his love. (R.)

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

on those who hope in his love.

to rescue their souls from death,

to keep them alive in famine. (R.)

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

The Lord is our help and our shield.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

as we place all our hope in you. (R.)

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16. A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace.

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia! The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for all. Alleluia!

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45. A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for all.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus. ‘Master,’ they said to him, ‘we want you to do us a favour.’ He said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.’

When the other ten heard this they began to feel indignant with James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said to them: ‘You know that among the pagans their so-called 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 become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

REFLECTION

When we set out to follow Jesus, faithful to the promises that we made at baptism to renounce sin and live lives directed by the Spirit, we normally do so with generosity of heart. However, after we have borne the burdens of this decision and realise some of the implications of our commitment, we begin to wonder if it was worth it. We believe that God will generously bless us. Still, would it be so wrong to hope for a little more, especially if we have made significant sacrifices along the way?

Of those to whom much has been given, much will be required in return. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we will be expected to mirror him. The great ones in the reign of God, the ones who exercise authority over others, must be the servants of the rest. Parents, teachers, civil authorities, managers of every kind, pastoral leaders must all be servants, as Jesus was a servant. We will also have to drink from his cup of suffering and be baptised into his death. As we draw close to the one who gave his life as an offering for sin, we will find that the same self-sacrifice is being asked of us. When we struggle with the misfortunes that we face because of our commitment to Jesus, we will have him as an inspiration and a model to follow. He can sympathise with our weaknesses, identify with our suffering. We can draw strength from his example and hope from his kindness.