An Embrace for the Humble
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Mark 9:30-37
Leaving that place, they made their way through Galilee; and 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.”
Grace Prayed For
This passage prompts us to pray for the grace of humility. We need the grace to let go of our pride, our need to be “first,” and to embrace a posture of service and vulnerability, like a child. We pray to see others not as competitors, but as opportunities to receive Jesus and bring His intimate love to the world.
Reflection
This passage reveals a beautiful tension: Jesus is teaching his disciples about his coming Passion, but they’re caught up in a selfish argument about who’s the greatest. They’re so focused on their own ambitions that they completely miss the point of Jesus’s sacrifice. This reminds us of how often we, too, can be distracted by our own wants and ego, deaf to the deeper, more profound truth Jesus is trying to share with us.
But Jesus, in His infinite patience and love, doesn’t scold them. Instead, He uses a tangible example to reveal the true heart of discipleship. He takes a child, places it in their midst, and embraces it. A child in that culture held no status, no power, and no influence. By holding the child, Jesus is showing them that true greatness isn’t found in being first, but in being last; not in being served, but in serving. He is teaching them that to be intimate with Him is to be like that child: humble, vulnerable, and dependent on Him.
Jesus’s embrace of the child is a powerful image of how He desires to embrace us. He wants us to come to Him not with our resumes of accomplishments, but with our brokenness and need. When we approach Him with this humility, He doesn’t just accept us; He receives us, wraps us in His arms, and makes us His own. Our mission, then, is to share this very embrace with others. When we humbly serve those on the margins—the powerless, the voiceless, the unseen—we are not just helping them; we are receiving Jesus Himself and His Father who sent Him. We are literally partnering with Him to restore the dignity of all creation, one person, one embrace at a time. This is the intimate, transformative partnership that flows from our Baptismal mission.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Practical Ways to Evangelize
Evangelization isn’t just about preaching or grand gestures; it’s about making Jesus’s love visible in our daily lives. We can evangelize by:
Simply being present: Giving someone our undivided attention and a listening ear can be one of the most powerful ways to show them they are loved and valued by God.
Serving others: Actively seeking out opportunities to help those in need, whether it’s volunteering at a food bank, assisting an elderly neighbor, or simply listening to a struggling friend.
Practicing genuine hospitality: Welcoming people into our lives and homes, making them feel valued and seen. This simple act reflects the welcoming heart of God.
Being a peacemaker: In a world filled with division and conflict, we can be a calming presence by choosing understanding and reconciliation over argument and judgment.
Modeling humility and forgiveness: When we admit our mistakes and offer forgiveness to others, we show them a glimpse of God’s mercy.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post