Date: Sunday, October 21, 2018
29th Sunday Ordinary Time B
James & John ask a favor of Jesus. They want Jesus to save places of honor for them when Jesus comes into his glory – when the Kingdom comes. The other 10 apostles become indignant! They want those places too! Jesus tries to explain to them: “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 give his life in ransom for many.” By offering the “cup” and inviting James and John to share in his “baptism” Jesus is letting the apostles know what is ahead for Jesus and for them. Entry into the Kingdom of God is not achieved by human effort but always by God’s grace. Salvation is a gift. When we follow Jesus our lives must be patterned on his – sacrificial love and service.
Steve Jobs co founded Apple. He died a billionaire at age 56. This is his final essay:
“I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In some others' eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, my wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on my bed and recalling my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death. You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it's lost - Life. Whichever stage in life you are in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain comes down. Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. As we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we realize that a $300 or a $30 watch both tell the same time. You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first class or economy, if the plane goes down - you go down with it. Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, that is true happiness! Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy. So when they grow up they will know the value of things and not the price.”
Steve Jobs discovered at the end of his life what Jesus is trying to explain to his apostles and all who wish to follow him.