The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.” - James 3:17
Today’s readings give me flashbacks of being eight years old in the second grade, seeing other kids always wanting to be first in line, or having silly fights on the playground because somebody took something they wanted. Now that I teach second grade, it’s a humbling experience to know that these things don’t change when you enter adulthood. As a young adult, you might encounter someone who has something you’ve always wanted, or maybe you know someone who is in a stage of life you’ve desired for so long. In the age of social media, it can be extremely discouraging and even heartbreaking to see other people’s successes.
Fortunately for us, the Lord isn’t making a list to compare everyone’s possessions and accomplishments. It’s quite the opposite. Jesus reminds His disciples of the ultimate call: to serve. We are called to receive others through serving one another, not through seeking after things others have or by trying to be better than them. Today’s readings call us to look inwardly at ourselves and to seek what is above.
Our second reading outlines what we can do when we are tempted to be envious, or when we find ourselves falling into selfishness. We can turn to the Lord and seek His wisdom, and He will respond to us sincerely and with merciful arms.
Just like a child asking a teacher to help them understand a problem at school, the Lord is ready for us to call upon Him. He is ready to help us understand the areas we desperately need Him to revive. And He receives us gently, peacefully, and with the greatest love.
Let us pray—Jesus, you are my teacher and giver of wisdom. I give you permission to revive the places where I have been tempted. Allow me to humbly answer your call to serve. May I receive you gently and trust in your good fruits. Amen.
Kathryn Sevilla is a special education teacher in San Antonio, TX. She loves finding the good and beautiful in Texas state parks with her husband. Her passions include eating local and laughing until she cries.