Daily Readings Audio | Daily Meditation | September 17, 2018 – September 23, 2018

September 17, 2018

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DAILY MEDITATION
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Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and doctor of the Church.

In the first reading, Paul teaches the community Corinth to be hospitable to all, and to not have factions among themselves. In today’s Gospel, Jesus sees the Centurion’s great faith and heals his servant.

Let us proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. By our participation in the Eucharist, but also by our lives outside of these walls, we profess and proclaim what we believe. Do those professions and proclamations match? The Body and Blood of Christ transforms us, and our presence in the world should reflect our faith, just as Centurion’s did. Let us pray for the Church, God might increase our faith and help us to proclaim it with the confidence of the centurion. Amen.

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 443

Reading 1 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33

Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord’s supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

1. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
   Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
   but ears open to obedience you gave me.
   Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
   then said I, “Behold I come.”
   R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
   “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
   To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
   and your law is within my heart!”
   R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
   I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
   I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
   R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
   May all who seek you
   exult and be glad in you
   And may those who love your salvation
   say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
   R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Alleluia Jn 3:16

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
   so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

 

September 18, 2018

« September 17  |  September 19 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

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In the first reading, Saint Paul says that the Body Christ is like a human body – many parts but still one body. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus raises a widow’s son from the dead outside the gates of the city of Nain.

Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

Striving for the greatest spiritual gifts is not a competition. It does not mean we are all aiming for the same thing, and that whoever gets it. The Lord wants us to become who we are meant to be, the best of ourselves the way he has created us. We are to strive for the greatest gift meant for us, so that we might fulfill our perfect role in the entire body of Christ. Let us pray for those who suffer ailments of mind, body and soul, may they be comforted by the presence of the Lord and the care of those around them. Amen.

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 444

Reading 1 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

1. (3) We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
   Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
   serve the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful song.
   R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
   Know that the LORD is God;
   he made us, his we are;
   his people, the flock he tends.
   R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
   Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
   his courts with praise;
   Give thanks to him; bless his name.
   R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.
   For he is good, the LORD,
   whose kindness endures forever,
   and his faithfulness, to all generations.
   R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Alleluia Lk 7:16

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   A great prophet has arisen in our midst
   and God has visited his people.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

 

September 19, 2018

« September 18  |  September 20 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

Memorial of Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr

Saint Paul exhorts the Corinthians to strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts, especially love. In the Gospel, Jesus compares the people of his generation to children who cannot agree with one another.

The greatest of these is love.

We are imperfect and undeserving of God’s love. Yet we are the body of Christ, and he alone vindicates our sinful nature and perfects us in love. We are called to follow the way of love, expressed through the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and be attentive to what God is asking of us. Let us pray for the Church, may she increase in faith, hope, and love through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 445

Reading 1 1 Cor 12:31-13:13

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Responsorial Psalm pS 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22

1. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
   Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
   with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
   Sing to him a new song;
   pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
   R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
   For upright is the word of the LORD,
   and all his works are trustworthy.
   He loves justice and right;
   of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
   R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
   Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
   the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
   May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
   who have put our hope in you.
   R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Alleluia See Jn 6:63c, 68c

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life,
   you have the words of everlasting life.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

 

September 20, 2018

« September 19  |  September 21 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-Sang, and companions, Martyrs.

Saint Paul addresses the Corinthians, recalling for their benefit the foundational Christian belief in the passion, death and bodily resurrection of Jesus. In the Gospel, invited by Simon the Pharisee to dine at his house, Jesus accepts. While Jesus reclines at table, the repentant woman shows Jesus such great love that he forgives all her sins.

Share the Word of God so that all will come to know the life of the risen Christ.

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not reserved exclusively to the ordained. Through baptism, each of us receives the mandate to proclaim the Good News. Today we remember the Korean martyrs, Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Paul Ha Sang and their companions, whose lives are an example for authentic to the message of salvation. Let us pray for those who shepherd our Church, May God grant them the strength and wisdom to lead the Church in truth and justice. Amen.

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest,
and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 446

Reading 1 1 Cor 15:1-11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the Apostles,
not fit to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28

1. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
   for his mercy endures forever.
   Let the house of Israel say,
   “His mercy endures forever.”
   R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
   “The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
   the right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
   I shall not die, but live,
   and declare the works of the LORD.
   R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
   You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
   O my God, I extol you.
   R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Alleluia Mt 11:28

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
   and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:36-50

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

 

September 21, 2018

« September 20  |  September 22 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

Today’s first reading calls for unity among believers, regardless of their ministerial differences. The people of Christ are to be one in body, spirit, hope and faith. In the Gospel, Jesus calls Matthew from his customs post, and then eats with him, along with some tax collectors and sinners. Jesus notes that he came to call sinners, not the righteous.

Matthew’s call helps us know about God unconditional love for us. Saint Matthew’s call as an Apostle teaches us that Jesus knows our defects and our sins, but loves us regardless of them. He wants us to be close to him, whatever imperfections we may bring to the relationship. There is no need for us to be defensive or guarded. We just need to be ourselves, and open our hearts to his love. Let us pray for those who feel unworthy to ask God’s help may remember the story of Matthew’s calling. Amen.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Lectionary: 643

Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5

1. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
   The heavens declare the glory of God;
   and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
   Day pours out the word to day,
   and night to night imparts knowledge.
   R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
   Not a word nor a discourse
   whose voice is not heard;
   Through all the earth their voice resounds,
   and to the ends of the world, their message.
   R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia See Te Deum

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   We praise you, O God,
   we acclaim you as Lord;
   the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

 

September 22, 2018

« September 21  |  September 23 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

Saturday in honor of Blessed Virgin Mary

Saint Paul instructs the Corinthians on the resurrection of the dead, using the analogy of sowing a kernel of wheat. In the Gospel, Jesus uses a parable of sowing seed to illustrate the lasting effects of hearing the Word of God.

The Word of God sown in us leads to the fullness of eternal life.

Seeds may look very similar when planted, but they look very different from each other when they break through the soil. How they grow, and by what they are fed determines whether they bear fruit. Our earthly bodies may someday be raised to the fullness of heaven, but only if we embrace the Word of God with generous hearts sharing goodness and love. Let us pray for farmers, gardeners and those who in any way work the land, may their seeds fall always on rich soil and their harvest ever abundant. Amen.

Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 448

Reading 1 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49

Brothers and sisters:
Someone may say, “How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?”

You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.

So, too, it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living being,”
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 56:10c-12, 13-14

1. (14) I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
   Now I know that God is with me.
   In God, in whose promise I glory,
   in God I trust without fear;
   what can flesh do against me?
   R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
   I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
   your thank offerings I will fulfill.
   For you have rescued me from death,
   my feet, too, from stumbling;
   that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
   R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

Alleluia See Lk 8:15

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
   and yield a harvest through perseverance.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 8:4-15

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.

“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”

 

September 23, 2018

« September 22  |  September 24 »

DAILY MEDITATION
by Daily reading & meditation website

In the first reading, we hear how the wicked plan to revile and torture the just one, putting God to the test of defending him. In the second reading, James contrasts the character of those who have wisdom from above with those who are bound by earthly things. In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples of his impending death and resurrection. When they fail to understand, he exhorts them to have an attitude of service to the least among them.

Jesus calls on us to set ourselves apart from the world and serve others.

Our world is full of arguments and conflicts. People fight and despise one another out of jealousy and selfish desires. Today, Jesus calls on us to be different from the world and learn to serve others. This is how we can be the greatest in his eyes. Let us pray for Church leaders, may they have the spirit of humility and servanthood in their ministry for God’s people, and inspire us to do the same. Amen.

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 134

Reading 1 Wis 2:12, 17-20

The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 54:3-4, 5, 6 and 8

1. (6b) The Lord upholds my life.
   O God, by your name save me,
   and by your might defend my cause.
   O God, hear my prayer;
   hearken to the words of my mouth.
   R. The Lord upholds my life.
   For the haughty men have risen up against me,
   the ruthless seek my life;
   they set not God before their eyes.
   R. The Lord upholds my life.
   Behold, God is my helper;
   the Lord sustains my life.
   Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
   I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
   R. The Lord upholds my life.

Reading 2 Jas 3:16—4:3

Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Alleluia Cf. 2 Thes 2:14

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   God has called us through the Gospel
   to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”