Hundred times more

You will receive a hundred times more.

28 Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30 who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. 31 But many that are first will be last, and [the] last will be first.”-Mark10:28-31

Peter was bold enough to say, “We have given up everything and followed you.” In other words, the disciples of Jesus left everything to follow Him, so what's in it for them? Will there be a reward? For me, one should not ask for a compensation or a reward just because a person sacrificed much for Jesus. The call of Jesus alone is already a privilege, a high recognition, a rare gem these days. In the Gospel, Jesus comforts His disciples and future disciples that their response to the call will never go unnoticed. One shouldn't worry about mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, lands, etc. left behind because Jesus generously gives many mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, lands, and so much more to all who answer His call.

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True Leadership

True leadership is true service especially to the lowliest of all.

1 Before the feast of Passover,[c] Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already induced[d] Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, 3 fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 4 he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. 5 [e]Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed[f] has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” 11 For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”12 So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. 14 If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.-John13:1-15

Anywhere in time, we can always read and see kings, queens and leaders live in palaces, beautiful gardens, soldiers and servants at their disposal, in short a comfortable life. In Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, he perfectly illustrated the life of the aristocracy and that of the peasantry. The aristocrats, nobles and royals live in palaces, with good food and wine, and flowing money. Life is good for them. But the peasantry lived poorly and sometimes with nothing at all. Those who are powerful and rich expects to be served and looked up to all the time. But Jesus is the most unique of all powerful leaders. He lives poorly, simply, humbly, above all, loves and serves all especially the poor, the lost, the last and the least. Jesus taught a new and better way of leadership - service with love and humility. For me, all leaders are supposed to be shepherds. A shepherd's work is supposed to care, look after, and protect the sheep, and not the other way around (that is, the sheep caring for the shepherd). Jesus is once more inviting us to be servant-leaders. If we want to be a leader, we have to give our life to service. A true leader must never seek his/her own comforts, luxury and needs.

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Love and Charity

Love is never costly.

1 [a]Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. 3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus[b] and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 Then Judas the Iscariot, one [of] his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, 5 “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages[c] and given to the poor?” 6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.[d] 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”9 [The] large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, 11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.-John12:1-11

Here, Mary showed the highest form of love - anointing the feet of Jesus and drying them with her hair. This humble act can truly touch any person. However, if Jesus and so many others are moved with this gesture, there is one who thought that such an act is a waste. Yes, we all have that tendency as well. I remember the "Ghost" movie. In the middle of the story, Oda came in possession of $4 million through the guidance of Sam, the ghost. Of course, she was very happy and planned the many things she would do with the money. However, since the money belonged to Sam, he told her to give it all to the nuns on the street. Perhaps Oda felt that giving $4 million to charity is a waste because she herself is in need of money too.

Love can be painful. Charity can be painful. Giving can be impractical. The little that we give is but nothing compared to the love, sacrifice and pain Jesus endured to save us all. Jesus is inviting us to love God and our neighbor more and more.

Image courtesy: The Passion of the Christ

Gathers us All

Jesus gathers us all to Him.

45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come[a] and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year,[b] said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.[c] 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.54 So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim,[d] and there he remained with his disciples.55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify[e] themselves. 56 They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” 57 For the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should inform them, so that they might arrest him.-John11:45-57

As I reflected, I believe that 'salvation' [indirectly mentioned] here and 'to gather into one the dispersed children of God' are accomplished by Jesus's death despite the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The salvation ["... so that the whole nation may not perish"] came in a different form - eternal life with God in Paradise. We may die here on earth, but our spirit will continue to live in God's dwelling place because Jesus' death opened the gates of Paradise for mankind once more. In fact, Jesus is the first of mankind to enter Heaven when He brought with Him our humanity when He resurrected and ascended to where He came from. Jesus still gathers us through the Catholic Church. All Roman Catholic Churches and chapels around the world speak, move and act as one. Same liturgy, same practice, same tradition, same sacrament, etc. I have nothing against the other Christian religions, in fact, I respect them too. However, because each of these Christian churches can interpret the Scriptures on their own, many men and women found churches of their own according to their interpretation and preference. But the question is, is human wisdom and judgment correct all the time?

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Self-sacrificing

Flexibility.

30 The apostles[a] gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. 31 [b]He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. 32 So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. 33 People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.34 When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.-Mark6:30-34

One mentor once mentioned that I was a "Black and White" person. If it's time to work, then I'll work. If it's time to rest, then I'll rest. But when "gray areas" occur (like a sudden change of schedule), I'm easily disoriented and sometimes peeved. The Gospel reading spoke of the apostle's return from their missionary work. Since Jesus was aware of their journey and tiredness, He gave them rest. But because of the number of people, no rest happened nor a time to eat. Going to a deserted place, they found people still waiting for them. Will there be rest? No. But instead of getting irritated or disappointed, Jesus was touched and moved with pity. Instead of resting, He taught them many things. Jesus is inviting us all to grow in patience and understanding. Sometimes, our personal needs are nothing compared to the needs of others.

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