By Your Side

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart, and said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and the third day he shall rise again.

Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said to her: what wilt thou? She saith to him: say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. And Jesus answering, said: you know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: we can. He saith to them: my chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father. And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

But Jesus called them to him, and said: you know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that are the greater, exercise power upon them. It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be the greater among you, let him be your minister: and he that will be first among you, shall be your servant. Even as the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.
Matthew 20:17-28 (Douay-Rheims Bible)

Prayer Reflection

Dear Father there are three parts to this picture today. But I am always struck by the second part where the mother has the audacity to ask for a special place by your side when you come into your kingdom. Mothers would go to great lengths to secure a position of importance for their kids if they could. Thinking about this, I have to realize how much our heavenly Mother does exactly that for all of us. She went through it all Jesus, by your side and she knows the suffering you underwent to free us. But she also goes to great lengths to bring us back to you, to secure a future in your kingdom. She wants us there, not elsewhere. How often have our own mothers guided us in the right direction, to make sure we were on the path of goodness. But many times we are stubborn and willful. We go off and do our own thing, not once realizing the devastating effect we have on those who love us. Most of all the heavenly family, who sees all and knows all. Take a step back and think about our own direction in life, is it in accord with the heavenly family or in tune with our own wants and desires.