READINGS FOR THE TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B, 20TH OCTOBER, 2024. (WORLD MISSION SUNDAY).
First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11
Psalm: 32
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16
Gospel: Mark 10: 35-45
REFLECTION BY FR. CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM.
MISSION SUNDAY: A CALL TO LOVING SERVICE TO OTHERS.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today’s reflection calls on all missionaries to a loving service to others. This call is insightful because, there is a dovetailing twist between mission and loving service.
The term mission means an important assignment, task, job or mandate given to a person or group of people, usually involving travel everywhere. Jesus called his disciples and commissioned them to go out into the world to spread the Good News of our faith. This Great Commission is accomplished through witnessing, preaching, baptizing and teaching. (Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:20).
By virtue of our Baptism, we are missionaries. In respect of this, Pope Francis in his homily on May 5th, 2013, invited Christians to: “Be missionaries.” Being missionary entails bringing Christ to others, proclaiming in our behaviour the dignity and beauty of every human life. It means allowing ourselves to be influenced and guided in our daily lives by the values of the Gospel. Each individual Christian and every community is missionary.
Today is World Mission Sunday. It was instituted by Pope Pius XI as an annual event in 1926. Mission Sunday provides us with an opportunity to reach out and to assure our brothers and sisters experiencing challenges that their sufferings have not gone unnoticed.
True missionaries testify to God’s love by sharing the Good News of their faith. There are different series of difficulties in life and a dovetailing attitude that is characterised by service. The word service can be described, as an act of being of assistance to someone. The act of service is something that is innate or intrinsic in us. Learning to understand the needs of others, especially those who are experiencing challenges is an important part of living as a Christian.
In support of this teaching, Prophet Isaiah in today’s First Reading describes how the promised Messiah will save mankind by dying in atonement for our sins. (Isaiah 53:10-11). This is a thought provoking statement. It is also insightful and inspirational.
In respect of this insight, Jesus says in the Gospel of Mark, “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.” (Mark 10:35–45). It is pertinent to note that the ransom paid by the Son of Man is an element of a common doctrine of atonement in Christianity.
Jesus said to his disciples, “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.” (Mark 10: 42-45). Jesus is emphasizing a leadership style centred on service. He wants us to understand that leadership entails service, care and love. The followers of Jesus are to serve and lighten the burdens of all in their care. Jesus teaches us to be “meek and humble of heart, his yoke is easy and his burden light.” (Matthew11:29-30).
In the same way, Jesus said in the Gospel of John, “if I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15). Leadership from this perspective deals with sacrifice and service for the liberation of the people.
The Second Reading from the letter to the Hebrews identifies Jesus as “God-man and Mediator-High Priest.” It narrates how Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to God to ransom us and liberate us from enslavement to sin. (Hebrews 4:14-16). In order to save us, Jesus became a “Suffering Servant.” Jesus challenges all of us, to become great by serving others with sacrificial and unconditional love.
Jesus commands us to serve others in humility and sacrificial service just as he did for us. Service always involves suffering, because we can’t help another without some sacrifice on our part. We are rendering great service to others also when we present them and their needs before God daily in our prayers.
As Christians, we are called to serve people. This service to others shows God’s love. It helps us to spread the Gospel to all generations. Service to others also allows us to reflect on our roles and the difference we are making in our community and the society towards those in need of our services. In serving others with love and humility, we are changing our community and society for the well-being of the public. In serving others, we obtain social connectivity, real-world experience, skills and knowledge that can be applied in future areas of work. Service to the people helps us to realize that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
In doing service to others, we pray for the grace to embrace a total change in our orientation and attitude to life in line with the spirit and ideals of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM.