SERMON/MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY, SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 21, 2024)

SERMON/MEDITATION FOR TUESDAY, SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II (MAY 21, 2024)

James 4:1-10; Ps.55; Mark 9:30-37

The Right way to be Ambitions

In the first reading, James continues his warning against selfish ambition. He tells us that selfish ambition is the source of the discord experienced amongst humans. Wherever human relationship is thwarted, know that selfishness has raised its ugly head. To understand James better, we need to note that James was not condemning ambition in itself.

By nature, every human being is expected to be ambitious. To be ambitious means to strongly desire something and to concretely work towards achieving it. Therefore, the only way one can avoid being ambitious is to have no plan for the future. But we know very well that he who fails to plan has already planned to fail.

James carefully noted two things that corrupt ambition: content and means. The content of our ambition need to be something reasonably realizable without causing harm to anyone; if not, we will be walking towards unrealizable project. Such ambition leads to frustration, stealing and killing (as noted by St. James).

Again, an ambition may be realizable but if we do not adopt the right means towards actualizing it, it could also become corrupt. The means of actualizing our goals in life must be devoid of any action or inaction that is sinful both in the sight of God and of man. For example, there is nothing wrong with aiming to become a General Manager in your place of work; but if you want to achieve this by pulling down the present General Manager or by tarnishing the image of those you think are your rivals, then your ambition has become selfish. For every goal we hope to achieve in life, we must merit it. Whatever is not deserved in justice should not be given by any other means.

Selfish ambition is a reflection of a dysfunctional conception of God. If we understand and believe that God is abundance in himself, then we will always present our needs to him in prayer. There is nothing that we really need that God will not provide us with.

It was this dysfunctional conception of God and of His kingdom that led the disciples to arguing about who is the greatest amongst themselves in the gospel reading. Jesus had just revealed to them his impending suffering, death and resurrection. They may not have fully understood Jesus but they grabbed with the fact that he will reign as king; so, their ambition became to be second-in-command. In this ambition, they ignored the right means of suffering and the content became rulership rather than service.

With the symbol of a child, Jesus taught the disciples that innocence and service are key for the realization of any ambition we may nurse. He did not discourage them from aiming towards greatness in the kingdom of heaven; he only showed them the right way. You see, Jesus can always help us out with our ambitions.