If anyone wishes to be first

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY (Mk 9,30-37)

Ambition, the search for the first place, the desire for leadership can destroy an entire community. A single proud is enough and God’s field is in ruins. The ambitious man does more damage in the good grain of the Lord than the three hundred foxes of Samson: “After some time, in the season of the wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife, bringing a kid. But when he said, “Let me be with my wife in private,” her father would not let him enter, saying, “I thought it certain you wished to repudiate her; so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more beautiful than she; you may have her instead.” Samson said to them, “This time the Philistines cannot blame me if I harm them.” So Samson left and caught three hundred foxes. Turning them tail to tail, he tied between each pair of tails one of the torches he had at hand. He then kindled the torches and set the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning both the shocks and the standing grain, and the vineyards and olive orchards as well. When the Philistines asked who had done this, they were told, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because his wife was taken and given to his best man.” So the Philistines went up and destroyed her and her family by fire. Samson said to them, “If this is how you act, I will not stop until I have taken revenge on you” ” (Jdg. 15,1-7).

Three hundred foxes set fire to a wheat field ready for harvest. An ambitious sets fire to a community, making it live badly. In his Third Letter the Apostle John publicly denounces the ambitious Diòtrephes: “Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers, especially for strangers; they have testified to your love before the church. Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey. For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth. I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, does not acknowledge us. Therefore, if I come, I will draw attention to what he is doing, spreading evil nonsense about us. And not content with that, he will not receive the brothers, hindering those who wish to do so and expelling them from the church. Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does what is good is of God; whoever does what is evil has never seen God” (3Jn 5-11). Before the descent of the Holy Spirit into the community of the Apostles discussions often arose about which of them was the greatest. Pride is the breath that Satan gives to those he wants to conquer. But always the breath of pride is transformed into fire that burns, blazes and consumes the good grain of God.

They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”

Pride is overcome if our eyes are always fixed on Jesus Crucified, in contemplation of his humility. Thus the Letter to the Hebrews: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12,1-3). Only the perennial contemplation of Christ Crucified is a very powerful antidote against every breath of Satan in our hearts.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints give us the joy of contemplating Christ Jesus Crucified.