TOPIC: WHO IS THE
GREATEST
25B, SUNDAY HOMILY, MARK 9:30-37, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
1. STORY
An old monk
prayed for years for a vision of Jesus to strengthen his faith, but it never
came. Then suddenly one day the monk was
overjoyed when the vision came. Just
then the monastery bell rang. It was his
turn to feed the hungry who came to the door. He was torn between doing his duty or staying
in his room. He decided he must feed the
poor. When he returned to his room, he
could hardly believe his eyes as the vision of Jesus was there waiting for him.
Then Jesus said to him, “My son, had you
not gone to feed the poor, I would not have stayed.” Service to others makes one great in God’s
eyes.
2. GOSPEL, MARK
9:30-37
A. WHO IS THE
GREATEST
The disciples discussed what they thought was a very important topic, “among them who was the greatest.”
B. THE GREATEST
MUST BE THE SERVANT OF ALL
JESUS ANSWERS,
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of
all.”
3. APPLICATION TO
LIFE
A. WHO IS THE
GREATEST
At school, the
student with the best marks is considered the best student. During the Olympics, the one with the most
gold medals is considered the greatest athlete. In business, the person who earns the most
money is considered the best business person. Jesus tells us that if we wish to be the
greatest in his eyes, we must be the servant of all.
Here are some
suggestions as how we can serve others.
i) We must be
willing TO SACRIFICE as Jesus did. We
must be willing to give our time, our energy, and even our money to serve
others.
ii) We can help
THE SICK by praying for them, visiting them, and calling them to show our care
and concern for them.
iii) We help
UNHAPPY persons by listening to their cares and concerns, by reminding them
that God loves them and is always with them, and by our words of comfort.
iv) We help THE
POOR by supporting the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Caritas bazaar,
or by giving them some food or money.
4. CONCLUSION
Because the monk
was willing to feed the poor, Jesus rewarded him by waiting for his return to
his room. Jesus taught the disciples
that the greatest among them is the one who serves others. We have many opportunities to serve the sick,
the unhappy, and the poor. We thank
Jesus for teaching us the importance of serving others, and we ask him to give
us the strength to serve others as he did. By doing this, we make others happy and we
make ourselves happy.
