The theme for both of the readings for mass today seems to be about humility. Saint Paul traveled to Antioch and went to the synagogue with his companions, but took his seat in the crowd along with everyone else. It was Paul’s normal routine to go to the synagogue on the sabbath to worship God. It seems that he didn’t go to the synagogue with the intention of speaking to the people, because the synagogue officials noticed Paul’s presence in the synagogue, and they had to send a messenger to go ask him to speak to the people.
When Saint Paul did stand to speak to the people, it was to proclaim Christ to them. He briefly summarized their past history, proclaimed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and that John the Baptist had heralded his coming. At the end of Paul’s talk today, he told them John’s words, which spoke of his ultimate respect for Jesus Christ, and John’s profound humility:
“What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.”
The gospel today is about feet, messengers, and humility as well. Perhaps that is why Paul spoke and acted the way that he did, because this is the way that Jesus taught his disciples to behave, as servant messengers. Paul knew his place. He was only the messenger. The master had sent him. He was not there on his own accord. Jesus said in today’s gospel:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.”
Jesus said, “If you understand this”….. and this is a difficult thing for many of us to understand. We think we are accomplishing things under our own steam most of the time, when in fact, we are not. The Holy Spirit guides our lives, if we are attentive to His will. Jesus is not here on earth anymore, but the second person of the Trinity, who is also part of Christ, is. The Holy Spirit prompts us to speak and to act, if we live in union with Christ’s will. After you understand this, it is easier to acknowledge that a power greater than ourselves is at work in our lives.
Many people in modern civilizations have trouble acknowledging anyone else directing their lives. We pride ourselves on our independence, the ability to think for ourselves, and make our own decisions. This way of thinking can be contrary to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ though, as evident in today’s gospel. Our higher power is Jesus Christ, not ourselves.
Jesus refers to himself again in today’s gospel as “I AM”, which clearly demonstrates the Trinity. The Trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, so it makes sense that Jesus, in the form of the Holy Spirit, directs our lives. It is Christ who acts, through us, by way of the Holy Spirit.
At the end of the gospel Jesus said, “whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
We act on Christ’s behalf, who in turn acted on his Father’s behalf. Many times in the gospels Jesus referred to the fact that he came to do His Father’s will. During the agony in the garden, he also struggled in prayer saying, “not my will but thine be done”. He sought his Father’s will in everything that he did during his life.
Jesus set the example by his life, and by washing his own Apostles feet, on how we are to act in his name too. When we serve Jesus Christ in his church, or in our families or communities, do we really serve him? Are we simply the messengers of his love? Or do we inject too much of our own motivations, opinions, ideas, etc. into what we do? Are we genuinely seeking to serve him? Or serve ourselves?
Daily Mass Readings:
Acts: 13: 13-25 / Psalm 89: 2-3, 21-25, 27 / John 13: 16-20
