Today’s Theme for Prayer – Jesus Makes Me His Intimate Disciple
How Do I Gain Deeper Personal Knowledge of God
When your intellect is concentrated on the love of God you will pay little attention to visible things and will regard even your own body as something alien.St. Maximus the Confessor
“The Path of True Greatness: Humility, Love, and Communion with God”
Mk 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Grace Prayed For
Pray for the grace to understand the true meaning of greatness in God’s eyes—that it lies in humble service and in union with the Trinity. Ask for the strength to embrace the cup of suffering with Christ and to live a life of sacrificial love, reflecting His heart.
Reflection
In these profound words, we hear the disciples’ desire for greatness, which echoes our own. James and John want a place of honor next to Jesus in His glory, yet they do not fully grasp the depth of what that means. Jesus does not condemn their desire, but instead gently challenges them: can you drink the cup I drink? The cup He speaks of is the cup of suffering, of self-emptying love. And yet, He offers them a path—one that leads not to prideful dominance but to radical service.
What does it mean to drink this cup, to be baptized with the baptism of Jesus? It is an invitation to union with Him, not just in glory but in suffering. It is a call to participate in His life of perfect humility, to let our own hearts be poured out in service. And yet, in this mystery of self-giving, we are drawn into the very heart of God—the perfect communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we give ourselves away in service, we become more fully who we are created to be: beloved children of God, made for communion.
This passage calls us into a union with the Trinity, to enter into the perfect love and humility shared between the Father and the Son. Just as the Son lives not for Himself but for the Father and for us, we are invited to live not for ourselves, but for the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The more we serve, the more we mirror the life of God—a life of love, sacrifice, and communion. This is the pathway to true greatness, a greatness that is found not in grasping for power but in laying down our lives in love.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage invites us into greater intimacy with Jesus by showing us that the path to union with Him is one of self-giving love. As we embrace service and humility, we enter into deeper communion with the Son, who served and gave His life for us. The more we live this out, the closer we draw to His heart, experiencing the love of the Father and the unity of the Trinity.
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