Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 20:20-28, today's readings).

"Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The mother of James and John comes to Jesus and asks that her two sons be granted authority to sit at his side in his kingdom. Jesus questions them, knowing they are unaware of what this means. "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can." And then Jesus tells them that it is not his to give but for the ones for whom the Father has prepared. To be at the right hand of Jesus in his kingdom is to serve and give one's life, to die to this life so to rise to new life through Christ. As Saint Paul says in the first reading: "For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh." So out of love, Jesus asks all of us: "Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"

God, help me understand that true greatness does not mean success in the way the world defines it. The mother of James and John asked that Jesus command that they sit at his right and left in the kingdom. To command in that way, as Jesus said, is to "lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt." But it would not be this way, Jesus said, among them. Lord, give me the grace every day to serve others and "carry about in the body the dying of Jesus" but especially when in a position of authority to bring Christ's presence to others. Give me the opportunity today to do just that: to die to self to let Christ be manifested in me to others. Saint James, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.