“He it is whose sufferings are shared by the martyrs with their glorious courage and by all those who believe and are born again at the moment of their regeneration.”
READ: MATTHEW 20:20–34
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came 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.”
As they left Jericho a large crowd followed him. Now there were two blind men sitting at the side of the road. When they heard that it was Jesus who was passing by, they shouted, “Lord! Have pity on us, Son of David.” And the crowd scolded them and told them to keep quiet, but they only shouted more loudly, “Lord! Have pity on us, Son of David.” Jesus stopped, called them over and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let us have our sight back.” Jesus felt pity for them and touched their eyes, and immediately their sight returned and they followed him.
YOUR THREE-STEP GUIDE TO DAILY MENTAL PRAYER
REFLECT
James and John send their mother to make a bold request, one they were probably ashamed to make themselves (as evidenced by the umbrage the other disciples take at hearing about it). Jesus sees through their ploy. He addresses His answer to James and John and not to their mother. But He answers without taking offense. He is glad that these two disciples want to be close to Him and be great in His Kingdom. If He could give them what they have asked for, He would. But since He can’t promise them that, He will give them the next best thing: they, too, will suffer for the Kingdom (thus staying close to Him). Here He teaches them the secret to real greatness — serving, giving, forgetting oneself. Is our path any different? Jesus wants us to confide in Him, to be honest with Him; that’s all He needs in order to make us His everlasting friends.
RESPOND
I, too, want to see, Lord. I want to see You. I want to see the truth about myself, about the world, and about the meaning of life. I want to see Your will for me and the way to fulfill it. I want to see the needs of those around me and how to meet them. I want to see the beauty of Your doctrine and of Your heart, so that no other ambition will interfere with my striving to be truly great in Your Kingdom.
REST
Lord, I am reluctant to serve. My natural tendency is to want to be served, especially at home, among those I should serve most. So often I think first of myself. But if You call me to follow in Your footsteps, to give my life for others, then it must be possible. You never ask the impossible. Through You, with You, and in You, I can be all that You created me to be. Okay, Lord, whatever You want. Thy will be done.
RESOLVE
How can I carry this encounter with me into the day? (Write / Journal)
CLOSING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Most Blessed and Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank You for Your love and Your grace in allowing me this time of prayer with You.
The world, the flesh, and the devil will all propose things I should focus on and run after today. I beg You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me instead to know and embrace Your will. Help me to see what You desire of me each moment of this day. Give me the wisdom, strength, and fortitude I need to avoid distractions, discern Your will, and focus on and carry out that which Wisdom reveals. Help me to work and live at a pace of peace and prayerfulness, always attentive to You, able to hear Your voice and to say no to anything that hinders my journey to You and a complete yes to every Holy prompting from You.
Help me to humbly and purposefully live, light, and lead others to the path of union with You and to tell everyone about this way of life. Amen.
About the Author
Fr. John Bartunek was ordained in 2003. He has taught moral theology at various ecclesiastical institutions at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and has authored many books, including the Gospel companion, The Better Part, and Inside the Passion, the only authorized behind-the-scenes look at the film, for which he provided on-set spiritual support. His online retreat guides are available in multiple formats at RCSpirituality.org. Fr. John currently resides in Atlanta, where he is serving as territorial vicar for the Legionaries of Christ.
