Mark 9:30-37

Reflection

Jesus travels with his disciples telling them he will die and rise after three days, but they don’t understand. Later, he asks what they were arguing about, for they had been talking about who the greatest among them was. Jesus takes a child and tells the disciples that anyone who receives a child like that in his name will receive God.

The disciples were lacking in humility. They wished to be the best and the greatest, yet Jesus tells them that the person who wishes to be first will be last. We are often like the disciples, hoping to be the best out of a certain group.

We must be like children before God, being humble and letting him show us the best way to live. Humility also requires trust. Turn to Jesus with childlike trust at all times. When we let ourselves be true children of the Father, he will guide us towards himself. God doesn’t require us to be the best, the greatest, the first. He wants you to come to him in your lowliness and place your entire life in his hands.

Saint of the Day

St. Tarasius: AD 730 – 806

“Just so the devil, when he sees that a soul has gathered great spiritual riches, by fasts, prayer, alms, chastity, and all other virtues, when he sees our vessel fraught with rich commodities, then he falls upon her, and seeks on all sides to break in.”   St. Tarasius