Generosity Service and Humility

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today explore the conflict between our own desires and jealousy and Life in communion with God. The letter of James reminds us of the opposite directions of the Will of God and the desire in the world to acquire all we can for ourselves and our self gratification. The battle against these tendencies, or demons, is best fought from the position of humility. The degree to which we realize our position before the Divine and celebrate with thanksgiving the life we know is the measure of our preparedness to accept the direction of the Spirit to move beyond our desires and jealousy and draw near to God as James is inviting us to do. The psalmist is calling on the justice of God to rectify the wrongs he witnesses in society. We can emphasize with that prayer. Our challenge is to seek mercy over justice. This request to God is nurtured in humility. In the text from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus again refers to the Son of Man (see Daniel 7 and the Suffering Servant of Second Isaiah) being killed by human hands and then rising from the dead. The deep mystery of this assertion seems to be ignored by the disciples who are immersed in the discussion of their greatness before God. Jesus redirects their orientation to service. Friar Jude Winkler describes the "welcome" of the child, the least of the community as the "service" of the least. This humility is necessary to be the full servant of Jesus, God and humanity.