Good Shepherd Catholic Parish

Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (R: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”); Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45

Whoever coined the phrase “the third time is a charm” was not thinking of the apostles in the Gospel of Mark. Our reading of the Gospel in the Sunday Masses skips Mark 10:31-34, in which Jesus foretells his suffering, death and resurrection for a third time. This third time Jesus offers the most detail: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise” (vv. 33-34).

After the first prediction (8:31), Peter “began to rebuke him” (v. 32), as we heard five weeks ago. After Jesus’ second prediction of his passion and death (9:31), the apostles still didn’t understand, but discussed instead “who was the greatest” (v. 34)—the Gospel vignette four weeks ago. So, the third time should be the charm: full understanding and willingness of the apostles to follow Jesus even into suffering and death if necessary. Instead, however, James and John, the third and fourth disciples called by Jesus (1:19-20), still don’t understand who Jesus is and what his prediction means. First, they call Jesus “Teacher”, which shows they do not yet fully know who Jesus is (at least they didn’t make the same mistake as the rich man last week and say “good”!).

James and John are also a bit manipulative: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Jesus knows not to say “yes”; rather he asks them to be more transparent: “What do you wish me to do for you?” (That question will also be asked of another man next Sunday.) James and John somewhat return to the issue of “who is the greatest” by saying, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” That takes a lot of chutzpah (Yiddish for the Hebrew for “nerve/gall”)! Jesus makes it pretty clear that these brothers do not understand what they are asking. Even though James and John say they can “drink the cup” and undergo the “baptism” of suffering that Jesus will, they will fail. In Mark’s Gospel, all the remaining 11 apostles flee when Jesus is arrested. We the readers, however, see the places on the right and left of Jesus ‘in his glory’, namely the crosses on either side of him!

Back to today’s passage: The other ten apostles, we are told, “became indignant” with the sons of Zebedee. It seems the ten are upset because they were beat to the punch by James and John. Jesus again teaches them that authority and greatness are to be found in service: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Once again, the lectionary pairs Jesus’ prediction of his passion, death and resurrection with one of the “Suffering Servant” passages in Isaiah. After Jesus’ resurrection, the early Church found these passages helpful for understanding Jesus’s suffering and death. They needed help to make sense of this, because those awaiting the coming of a Messiah did not understand that he would suffer and be crucified.

The author of Hebrews—an “exhortation”, more than a “letter”—also speaks of Jesus’ suffering as central to his identity: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (5:8). The author sees how Jesus’s suffering can boost our trust in him: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin” (4:15).

The Psalm response is most appropriate for drawing together the major theme of mercy and trust from today’s passages from Isaiah, Hebrews, and the Gospel of Mark: “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” The author of Hebrews states this strongly about Jesus Christ, the high priest, who is enthroned in heaven: “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” So whatever each of us is going through in our lives, may we, like Isaiah, the Psalmist, the author of Hebrews and especially, our Lord, Jesus Christ, place our trust in God the Father. We also, of course, place our trust in the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Even though Divine Mercy Sunday is the second Sunday of Easter, today’s readings immerse us in Divine Mercy. We would do well to show that “Jesus, I trust in you”, by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. May Jesus’ mercy help us to be people of mercy who can be trusted by others who need a listening ear and caring heart.

This is a “Stewardship Prayer” from Our Sunday Visitor. This prayer provides all of us good food for reflection.

My parish is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am.
It will be holy, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will be prayerful, if I pray.
It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.
It will bring others into worship, if I invite and bring them in.
It will be a place of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith,
of compassion, charity and mercy,
if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things.
Therefore, with the help of God,
I now dedicate myself to the task of being all
the things that I want my parish to be.
Amen.

PASTOR
Rev. Timothy A. Friedrichsen
206 N 2nd Street  PO Box 39
Breda, IA  51436
Breda Rectory Office (712-673-2351) t.a.friedrichsen@gmail.com

BOOKKEEPER/ADM ASSISTANT
Cindy Lawler
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish
304 N 2nd Street  PO Box 29
Breda IA  51436
Phone: 712-673-2582
Office Hours Mon - Fri: 8:30am-2:30pm 
goodshepherd@westianet.net

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST-Arcadia
Julie Eich, Administrative Assistant
Office Hours: Mon & Fri 7:30-11:30 am Phone: 712-689-2595
stjohnarcadia@gmail.com

ST AUGUSTINE-Halbur
Rosie Sporrer, Administrative Assistant
Office Hours Mon & Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Phone: 712-658-2464
Fax: 712-658-2464 staug@iowatelecom.net