20240521 WORLDLY AMBITIONS
21 May 2024, Tuesday, 7th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | James 4:1-10 © |
Resist the devil and he will run away
Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.
You are as unfaithful as adulterous wives; don’t you realise that making the world your friend is making God your enemy? Anyone who chooses the world for his friend turns himself into God’s enemy. Surely you don’t think scripture is wrong when it says: the spirit which he sent to live in us wants us for himself alone? But he has been even more generous to us, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Look at your wretched condition, and weep for it in misery; be miserable instead of laughing, gloomy instead of happy. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 54(55):7-11,23 © |
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
O that I had wings like a dove
to fly away and be at rest.
So I would escape far away
and take refuge in the desert.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
I would hasten to find a shelter
from the raging wind,
from the destructive storm, O Lord,
and from their plotting tongues.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
For I can see nothing but violence
and strife in the city.
Night and day they patrol
high on the city walls.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
Entrust your cares to the Lord
and he will support you.
He will never allow
the just man to stumble.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ga6:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord,
through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 9:30-37 © |
Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me
Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.
They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
WORLDLY AMBITIONS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Jm 4:1-10; Ps 55:7-11,23; Mk 9:30-37]
Regardless whether we are working in the world or living in religious life, the temptation to worldliness is real. One must not be too naïve to think that the devil only works in the world and not in religious houses and in parishes. Indeed, no one is exempted from the snares of the Evil One. In fact, the devil is even more active in seeking to tempt priests and religious to fall because it would destroy all that they do and discredit the Church’s integrity and credibility. This is clearly brought out in today’s both scripture readings.
The devil normally tempts those who are not strong in faith to the sins of the flesh. This is the crudest level of temptation. It is obvious and easily seen. Those who fall into sexual temptations, gluttony and greed are those who have no control over their physical and material faculties. They have no self-discipline. Those who are tempted to pornography, food, alcohol, smoking and drugs are the easiest preys for the Evil One. Satan sought to tempt Jesus when He was hungry in the desert by asking Him to use His power to change stones into bread. If at this level of temptation, we cannot resist, we will not have much strength to resist the subtler forms of temptation. Indeed, if one has no self-control, he or she would not likely be able to resist other areas of temptation.
The higher level of temptation is not of the flesh but of the human heart and mind – pride, envy and anger. These three capital sins are inter-connected. We desire to be great and to be admired. Human beings tend to lack proper self-esteem. They are always looking to others for approval and recognition. This is why pride is the greatest of all the capital sins. It is because of pride that our first parents fell into the temptation of the Evil One. In the gospel, the disciples of Jesus were making comparisons among themselves as to who was the greatest. They wanted to be better than the rest.
This is why, St James warned the Christians about having the wrong ambition. There is a difference between worldly ambition and a Christian ambition. Worldly ambition seeks power and success for oneself; not necessarily for material or financial gains, although that could also be included, but for glory and honour. This can also happen among people in religious life. Often, those who have lesser inclination or need for material things or money seek glory and recognition, fame and popularity. Therefore, even priests and religious and those serving the Church are not exempt from this spiritual worldliness. Priests and religious who spend their entire life apparently working for the people of God, labour hours in study and writing papers, books and homilies, would get very offended and discouraged when their works are not recognized or appreciated, or when others are given greater honour than them.
Envy is the offspring of pride. Earlier on, St James warned the Christians, “But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.” (Jms 3:14-16) That was what happened to the apostles too, when James and John sought the places on the right and left of Jesus when He comes to His kingdom. St Matthew noted that “When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.” (Mt 20:24) Indeed, if we are not careful, envy will lead to violence and killing. This is what St James said, “Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force.” Indeed, worldly ambition leads to division, using unscrupulous and unjust means over our competitors.
This is why we must be discerning. St James described such worldly ambitious people as “unfaithful as adulterous wives; don’t you realise that making the world your friend is making God your enemy? Anyone who chooses the world for his friend turns himself into God’s enemy.” We must avoid allowing ourselves to be misled by the devil or be used by him to destroy the work of God and His Church. This is why St James urges us to pray. “You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.” We must only seek true wisdom, love and godly ambition. So what is godly ambition?
Christian ambition is totally unlike worldly ambitions. It is a call to service; not just service, but humble service. He called the twelve to him and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” In the other passage when James and John sought for positions, the Lord instructed His disciples, saying, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:25-28)
Christian ambition for leadership is for service. But it is not even just humble service. It is utter giving of oneself for the people whom we serve. Like Jesus, we are called to be a slave and a servant of others. This involves self-sacrifice and the offering of one’s life. In the gospel, Jesus tried to make them understand what servant leadership and Christian ambition entails. He said, “‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.” In John’s gospel, the Lord said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:10f) St Paul, citing an ancient hymn that says, Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:7f)
This requires us also to have a different mind-set as well. When we serve, we serve not the powerful but the lowly simply because God is with the poor and the marginalized. To illustrate this point, Jesus “took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'” A child during the time of Jesus was considered to be among the most insignificant ones in society as they had no status, no power, and no wealth. But Jesus raised the dignity of the children to that of His status by identifying Himself with them. For one who welcomes the children, welcomes the Lord. The child is the representative of our Lord. So, to welcome the child is tantamount to welcoming Christ Himself. Hence, it behoves us to welcome the poor and marginalized, since they are Christ’s personal representatives.
Let ask the Lord to keep us humble in service. Let us take heed of the exhortation of James, “God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer to God, the nearer he will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Look at your wretched condition, and weep for it in misery. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” Let us come close to the Lord and purify ourselves of selfish ambition and pride so that we can truly serve the Lord with sincerity, in wisdom and in humility. When we serve Him with purity of mind and heart, we will find peace. “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.” (Jm 3:17f)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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