1 Pet 1:10-16; Mk 10:28-31
HOMILY:"Everyone Serves, Everyone is Served"
After the initial shock at what Jesus had to say about the danger of wealth as a serious obstacle to being a follower of Jesus, the disciples reflect on their relative poverty: "What about us?" asks the ever-irrepressible Peter. "We have left everything and followed you."
Jesus answers them that they will be repaid hundred times over in this present age, and of course with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come!
This sounds like a pie-in-the-sky promise! Will we really get hundred houses or families for giving up one?
The "hundredfold now in this age" will presumably have to be taken in the sense of spiritual joy in doing worthwhile work, rather than as a promise of material wealth in this present life. It is the spiritual joy you enjoy in serving and sharing in the community.
Perhaps this can be illustrated by a story:
A rich man was concerned about his future salvation, would he 'go to heaven' or not. In order to motivate him, he asked God to be given a preview of heaven and hell. God agreed. God said that they would first pay a visit to hell. When they got there the man was greatly surprised. He was brought into a sumptuous dining room of a large Chinese restaurant all decorated in red and gold. In the centre was a large round table and on it were the most exotic and delicious dishes one could imagine. Around the table were seated the diners. They were the most miserable-looking group one could imagine, all sitting there motionless and in silence just looking at the beautiful food in front of them. The reason for their glumness was that they had been given chopsticks which were three feet long! There was no way they could get any of the food into their mouths. And they were going to sit there like that for eternity. That was hell!
God then brought the man to heaven. Again he was amazed. Because they were in an identical Chinese banqueting room, with the same kind of table and the same wonderful food. But everybody was in the highest spirits. The sound of laughter rang out everywhere. They were really enjoying themselves and the meal. Was this because they had the normal length of chopsticks? No! They also had three-foot chopsticks but here everyone was reaching out food to people on the opposite side of the table. And that was heaven.
It is a very good illustration of today's Gospel. When everyone serves, everyone is served. When everyone gives, everyone gets. It is a lesson even we Christians seem to find difficult to learn.
Reference:
http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/O1083G/
http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2012/05/tuesday-may-29-2012/
Vally Mendonca, S.J.
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