FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

Dear Parishioners,

“On the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest” (Mark 9:34).

How do you imagine that argument went? Today’s gospel (Mark 9:30-37) doesn’t tell us what the disciples said but it’s not difficult to imagine. We need only recall the times we’ve argued about and striven to be the greatest.

  • Maybe Simon or Andrew started it by claiming that one of them is the greatest because they were the first disciples called (Mark 1:16-17) and seniority matters.
  • Maybe Peter argued that it should be him because he’s the only who correctly answered Jesus, “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29). Being right and having the answers should count for something, right? And maybe the others countered, “No way is it you, Peter. Jesus rebuked you and called you Satan. That’s not so great.” (Mark 8:33)
  • Maybe Peter, John, and James said it was one of them because they got to go up the Mount of Transfiguration and the others didn’t (Mark 9:2). Besides that, those left behind ones couldn’t even cast out a demon from a young boy (Mark 9:18). Shouldn’t the greatest be successful?
  • Maybe Peter touted himself as the greatest because he walked on water (Matthew 14:28-30). I imagine the others rolling their eyes and saying, “Yeah, and you sunk like the rock that you are.” (Mathew 14:30) After all, the greatest is only as good as his or her last accomplishment.
  • And I’ll bet it was an eleven to one vote against Judas. They all knew he was a thief (John 12:6). Morals are important to greatness. (At least we say they are.) It’s lucky for Peter and Judas that when the argument took place they had not yet denied or betrayed. That’s not what the greatest disciple would do.
  • Maybe John argued that he was the greatest because he was the beloved disciple who laid his head on Jesus’ breast (John 13:23- 25). The greatest are always well placed and connected in high places.
  • And what about those other disciples who are not quoted in the gospels and have no gospel named after them? It couldn’t be them. Surely, the greatest disciple would at least be published.

I can easily imagine each disciple making a case for his own greatness and a case against the greatness of others. Do you know why that’s so easy for me to imagine? Because it’s often the conversation I have in my head with myself. Maybe you do too.

It seems we are always establishing pecking orders of greatness. Look at the pecking orders in our world and country today. They are all around us. We live with and participate in them even if we did not create them. Maybe we should look to bring out our best qualities, not just wanting to be the best.

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” That’s how Jesus understands greatness. Last place? Really? I don’t think I’ve ever argued about or striven to be in last place. Have you? Last place is the last place I want to be, and I suspect that’s true for you too.

What if greatness in Jesus’ mind is not about how much we have or what we have accomplished, but about what we’ve offered and done for others? What if greatness is not about the position or place, we occupy, but about the space and place we offer others?

What if we stopped arguing about and striving to be the greatest, and we sought to discover or recover and bring out the best in ourselves and each other? What would that look like in your life today?

If you were to be the best person someone has ever met, what would you want them to say about you? What qualities or characteristics would you want them to describe? Pick a couple things or ways you would want to be. How are we going to become that? What parts of our life need strengthening to become that and what parts need changing to become that?

What would it take today to offer another the very best of ourselves?

Peace,
Fr. Monteleone

To read the complete bulletin click here