In today\u2019s Gospel, we are lead to the thread that began last week. We saw then Jesus telling Peter that his way of thinking was \u201cnot God\u2019s way but man\u2019s.\u201d The continuation we see today shows that the problem is not resolved. The Evangelist presents a deep contrast between God\u2019s thinking expressed in Jesus\u2019 prophesy about his upcoming passion and the Apostles\u2019 main issue \u2013 which of them is the greatest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is not hard to fall into this trap of own ambitions and egoistic goals in religious life. Indeed, it can be a dangerous trap for those who are part of the institutional Church but also for laypeople. Competing among Christians can be seen at least in two forms \u2013 one is competing for positions, another competing in devotion to religious practices. In other words, the former refers to the desire of achieving more prestigious work to fulfil egoistic needs. The latter refers to being religiously zealous in order to feel superior in comparison to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does Jesus invite us to be average men? Does every Christian need to seek for being diminished? Surely not. As those who have children know, being like a child is not about being inferior but about being trustful and innocent. The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, one can say, is the man who trusts the Lord and follows Him. It does not mean that everyone has to be like a quasi-monk. Neither means it that those talented should not cultivate their skills and gifts. Jesus himself wants Peter to be the Petrus<\/em>, the rock on which the Church is built. So the problem is not being better in something, but how one treats others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The crucial question here is: what is the purpose of my life? What is my life about? Is it focused only on success, only on being over others? Or do I try to do my best because I am gifted and fulfil God\u2019s plan for me by cultivating my gift? Let us ask the Lord so we are able to understand and follow His will rather than our egoistic ambitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u0141ukasz Go\u0142\u0105b<\/strong> – Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Sydney, Australia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fot. Armand Khoury\/Unsplash.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,17,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-strona-glowna-najnowsze","category-strona-glowna-slider"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n