SUNDAY 18TH OCTOBER 2009

Twenty-Ninth Sunday of the Year [CYCLE B]

MAIN MESSAGE
[This is for reference only. Please do not read it at Mass]

Today we draw our lesson from the Gospel: the incident of James and John who wish to be given
a place of honour. Jesus takes this opportunity to teach us about true greatness, pointing to himself as
a model:
‘If you wish to be great, you must be servant of all… The Son of Man came not to be
served, but to serve.’
A couple of incidents about Mother Teresa and her sisters serve to illustrate true greatness
and how people recognised it in the sisters, though they were not great by worldly standards.
(Stories taken from ‘We do it for Jesus’ by E Le Joly, St. Paul’s Publications.)

INTRODUCTION:
Celebrant:
• Children, suppose your teacher asked you to be the class prefect, would you say yes? Hands up those
who would like to be a prefect (a monitor) in your class!… Most of us would love to be one. I wonder
why! Maybe it is because we think, “If I become a prefect I will be someone important, someone
great. All the children will have to listen to me.”
• Today we will see how two of Jesus’ friends wanted to be great. They wanted to sit on thrones next to
Jesus when he became king. Let’s see what Jesus said to them.

LITURGY OF THE WORD:

Commentator: This reading tells us something about
Jesus. Though he is a great king, he is kind and
understanding.
First Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16.
Psalm: 33:4-5, 20&22.
Commentator: Now listen to the story about the two
friends of Jesus who wanted to be great.
Gospel: Mark 10:35-45.

Homily:
Celebrant: Children I think you must have noticed the
poster here. It asks us, ‘Who is a great person?’ There is
a picture of a woman. Do you know who she is?... She is
a nun called Mother Teresa.
• When she was a young sister, she felt God calling her
to leave her convent and start looking after poor
people who had no one to help them. Let me tell you
two short stories about Mother Teresa and her sisters.
Then I’ll ask you a question.
• A priest went to visit some of Mother Teresa’s sisters in Coimbatore. That is a place in South India.
As they were walking on the road, a bus stopped for them, even though there was no bus-stop there.
The father was surprised. “How come the driver is stopping for us?” he asked. Sister said, “All the
bus drivers know us and stop anywhere to take us. They don’t do this for anyone else. It is the same
in the market. All the vendors help us.”

• The second story is from Kolkota.

Mother Teresa had started a home there for poor people who were dying. The home was just
next to a big Hindu temple. Because of this, some people started making trouble for Mother. They
wanted her to get out from there.
One of the political leaders said to them, “Don’t worry, I’ll get her out.” He went to see the
home. Mother asked, “Shall I take you round and show you everything?” But he answered rudely, “I
don’t need anyone to take me round. I can see for myself without any help.”
As the man walked round, he saw the sisters lovingly washing the thin, sick people. He saw
them feeding them spoon by spoon, gently giving them medicines and injections.
When he came out of the home he told the men outside, “Yes, I will get that woman out, as I
promised. But first you must get your mothers and sisters to do the same work that these sisters are
doing! In the temple you have a goddess of stone. Here you have a living goddess.” That was the end
of the trouble making!

• Tell me now: Why do you think these people respected Mother and her sisters? Whey did the bus-
drivers and bhaji-wallas in Coimbatore help them? Why did the leader call her a living goddess?...
[It was because they realised that they were truly great people!] Truly great people don’t boss others
around but they serve others.

• This is was Jesus told the two brothers James and John, and his other friends too. Do you remember
what Jesus said? He said, “Other leaders and kings boss over people, but you mustn’t be like them. If
you want to be great, you must serve others.” Then he told them, “I also came to serve, not to be
served.”

• Mother Teresa was not very beautiful. She did not come first in class. She didn’t have money or fancy
clothes. But when people met her, they felt, ‘Here is someone great!’

• How did she become great? By being like Jesus and doing everything for Jesus. She wore simple
clothes and served the poor. She and her sisters washed their clothes, fed them, cleaned their wounds,
gave them God’s love.

• Tell me, do you want to be great like Jesus and Mother Teresa?... Then start serving others. Instead
of showing off or bossing others, try to help others. Pick up the ‘kutchda’ around the class. Look after
someone who has fallen down. Help an old person who is carrying a heavy bag. Bring a glass of
water for a thirsty person. Ask Jesus to show you what he wants you to do, then do it for him.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS PREPARATION REQUIRED:

FIRST Enter
ENTRANCE: READING:
His Gates A reading from •thePractice
letter the
thereadings.
Hebrews:
OFFERTORY: Father Take the Gifts • Make poster and put up.
Brothers and sisters:
COMMUNION: Make Me a Servant
We haveGoathe
RECESSIONAL: great
Mass high priest, who has gone into heaven, and
is Ended he
is Jesus, the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what
we have said about him.
Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was
tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!
So, whenever we are in need, we should come confidently
before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated
with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.
 PSALM: Response: Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we
place our trust in you.
The Lord is truthful; We depend on you,
he can be trusted. Lord,
He loves justice and To help and protect
fairness, and he is kind us.
to everyone everywhere Be kind and bless us!
on earth.

ALLELUIA: Alleluia, alleluia.

The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a
ransom for all. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: A reading from the holy Gospel according to St.

Mark.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked,
“Teacher, will you do us a favour?” Jesus asked them what they wanted,
and they answered, “When you come into your glory, please let one of
us sit at your right side and the other at your left.”
Jesus told them, “You don’t really know what you’re asking! Are you able
to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from, or be baptized as I
must be baptized?” “Yes, we are!” James and John answered.
Then Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from the cup from which I
must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must! But it is not for me
to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to
decide.”
When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and
John. But Jesus called the disciples together and said: “You know that
those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people
around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they
rule. But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the

NB. All Readings are taken from the ‘Lectionary for Masses with Children’