Praise be Jesus and Mary.
The first reading today, the prophet Isaiah prophesies about the suffering servant.
That the Messiah would be one who suffers and gives his life as an offering for sin in order to justify many.
And our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is this Messiah, is this suffering servant.
All of the sacrifices of the Old Testament simply serve to prefigure the coming of the sacrifice
that would redeem and justify.
Justify many, as the prophet says.
The sacrifices in the Old Testament were offered by the priests.
But this new and eternal covenant established by our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the high priest.
The second reading in the letter to the Hebrews talks about our Lord being the high priest.
He offers the sacrifice, but not some victim apart from himself.
But he himself is both priest and victim.
We are redeemed by his blood.
Now, we see in the gospel that the apostles don't have these things in mind.
The sacrifice that must take place, the blood which must be poured out.
But instead, they're thinking about honors and rewards.
It's James and John.
The sons of Zebedee.
Who were among the, we could say, specifically or especially loved apostles.
Peter, James, and John.
They were the ones chosen to see our Lord transfigured on the mountain.
They were the ones who were called a little bit forward in the Garden of Olives.
So, James and John already have an idea.
They have an idea that they have a place above the other apostles.
And so, they're thinking to themselves, we want to take advantage of this and ask now to sit on his right and on his left.
So, they approach our Lord.
And they have the boldness to say, teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.
And Jesus says, not that he doesn't know the answer.
But he wants them, he knows this idea that they have in their heart.
He wants to see if they are bold enough to express it, to actually say it.
And so, he says, what do you wish me to do for you?
And they say, grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.
Okay.
They don't understand completely the glory, the kingdom of which our Lord has spoken.
They're thinking that our Lord is going to Jerusalem and he's going to be crowned a temporal king and reign for some time.
They heard our Lord speak about his passion and the suffering and rejection that he would undergo.
But they were thinking that would come afterwards.
So, they're asking now to sit on his right and his left.
And for this reason, our Lord says, you do not know what you are asking.
Now, this should be a lesson for all of us.
All of us, when we pray and ask God for certain things that we perceive to be good for us,
these same words can oftentimes be referred directly to us.
That is, you do not know what you are asking.
We need to humble ourselves and realize that we don't have the big picture of what God is doing with our lives
or how things are going to unfold.
And His plan for us, for the family, for the nation, etc.
So, we always need to have this disposition of soul that God knows what's best for us.
All right?
So, our Lord says, you don't know what you're asking.
And then, instead of presenting to them honors and rewards,
He now presents to them the cup of suffering,
sacrifice, of blood,
battles, and dangers
that they will have to undergo before entering into glory.
And so, He says to them,
Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?
Now, the cup in the Old Testament
refers to God's judgment.
Okay? His judgment
towards the wicked,
that they would have to drink the cup of His wrath and these type of things.
So, our Lord is talking about
suffering,
being baptized, that is immersed in sorrow, difficulty, and pain.
And they answer boldly again, we can.
The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
They affirmed that they could, that they would follow Him even to death.
And what happened, as the scripture says, when our Lord was captured, they all fled.
So, we should never be presumptuous about our strength either.
But our Lord
overlooks that failure during His Passion and foresees in the future that they would be converted, that they would
follow along a path of sanctification and perfection,
and so our Lord says,
the cup that I drink, you will indeed drink.
And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.
Now notice that
St. James and St. John were not both martyrs of blood.
St. James, yes, he was beheaded by Herod in Jerusalem.
But St. John, no, he died
a natural death. And yet our Lord says that both of them will drink the cup from which he drinks
and both of them will be baptized. You see, there are two kinds of martyrdom. One is red and bloody
and the other is white, but nonetheless real martyrdom. And that is the martyrdom of living
a long life observing the commandments and practicing heroic virtue. Because in order to
live a long life observing the commandments and of practicing heroic virtue, one must at least have
the will of a martyr. And we should all have this will. If our Lord does call us to sacrifice our
lives for love of him, for love of the truth, or Holy Mother Church,
or some other virtue, then we should have that interior disposition, be ready to do that.
We should say with the apostles, we can, we will, we want to, and then pray for the strength.
But most of us, of course, will not be called to that. Maybe some of us will. I know our friars
in Africa, in Nigeria, there are all kinds of martyrs these days in Nigeria due to the bombings
etc.
Our friars and sisters in Africa are in danger. And so some of us may be sent there. Maybe the
will of God that you really do die a martyr. But, of course, most of us that won't be the case will
be called to that other martyrdom of a life of heroic virtue. And so we need to have that will,
that disposition to do that, to drink the cup that our Lord drank from and to be baptized with
that.
Then our Lord does talk about rewards. He says,
But to sit at my right or my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been
prepared. Now remember our Lord before he ascends into heaven. He says that he is going to prepare
a place for us. So our place in heaven is already prepared.
And he says,
And not every place has the same degree of glory, the same degree of honor and eternal happiness.
So there is a place at our Lord's right and left. And who occupies those places? The blessed Virgin
Mary and St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Those places were not for St. James and John,
although they did manage to get the places at his right and left.
at the Last Supper. We know St. John reclined his head on our Lord's breast and tradition also
places St. James on the other side. But the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph have the place on our
Lord's right and left in heaven because that place that our Lord has prepared for us directly
corresponds to the degree of charity in our soul at the moment of our death. See, we should be
striving to grow in charity, in divine love, love for God and love for neighbor. And so the degree
of charity that has developed in our soul at the moment of our death determines the place
which we take, which has been prepared for us in heaven.
Now notice the impression.
Perfection of the other apostles. Why? Because at hearing of James and John's request, they become
indignant because they too want honor and glory. And so our Lord calls them together. He summons
them to himself and he wants to teach them in what true glory, true honor consists. And he gives them
the lesson of humility.
You know that those who are recognized as rulers and over the Gentiles lorded over them and their
great ones make their authority over them felt. This is not the way in which Jesus Christ, his
successors, and all of those who have authority in his church exercise their authority. Not like
the tyrannical pagans.
You know, when you read about the Roman emperors, what do you have? It's just one series of murders and
suspicions and intrigue and death threats and fear of death of those who are in power. And that is not
the way our Lord has established authority in his church or among his apostles and their successors.
He does not say,
you don't have authority and everyone is equal. He doesn't say that. There is really a hierarchy and there is real
authority. But he talks about the way in which this is to be exercised. Not like the pagans, tyrants. He says,
it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant who wishes to be first
among you will be the slave of all. And so our Holy Father in Rome signs
his letters the servant of the servants of God. He who holds the highest place
in the visible church is servant of all of the others who seek to serve God. Our Lord confirms this not only by
his word and his teaching, but by his example.¶ For the son of man did not come to be
served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And so this is a lesson for all
of us, a lesson to have those great desires, to say with the apostles, we can and we do and we
want to follow our Lord into glory and through the passion, whatever suffering is required of us in
this life, whatever cross God sends us to be faithful Christians. And in doing all of this,
in serving others, we do it with great humility and in a spirit of service after the example
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And of course, if we do this, if we remain faithful to the end,
we will be crowned in glory and take the places in heaven that have been prepared
for us.
For each and every one of us. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.