No mi From the Gospel according to Matthew 20:20–28
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied, “My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Drinking Your Chalice
Lord, thank You because today You show us the way of true love. You did not come to be served, but to serve and to give Your life out of love. This is also the path You call us to follow as husbands and wives.
How often, like the mother of the sons of Zebedee, we want to be right, to be recognized, or to have things go our way! But You teach us that true greatness in marriage is not about getting our way or imposing ourselves. It is about serving, loving, and giving ourselves with humility. Today You remind us that our vocation is not to change our spouse, but to love them as You love them, to respond with mercy and faithfulness, even when they struggle to love. Because when we allow pride or a lack of charity to enter our hearts, instead of bringing our spouse closer to You, we can actually become an obstacle to their encounter with You. Teach us to drink Your chalice in our marriage, joining our self-giving to Yours and embracing the sacrifices of each day with love; to love when it is difficult, to forgive instead of judging, and to turn every sacrifice we make into an offering for our spouse. That way, we will not seek the places of honor, but the joy of serving. Pour out Your grace upon us, so that every word, every gesture, and every sacrifice we make may bring our spouse closer to You and make our marriage a reflection of Your love.
Applied to Married Life:
Helen: Rob, today’s Gospel has really made me think about our family. Like the mother of the sons of Zebedee, we also want our children to one day be at the Father’s right hand. But are we really leading them toward Him?
Rob: Helen, I see that sometimes we worry more about them getting good grades, learning languages, or succeeding in life than we do about caring for their souls. We talk to them about God, but the example they see at home doesn’t always bring them closer to Him.
Helen: You’re right, Rob. We go to Mass on Sundays, but during the rest of the week they see us arguing, demanding more than we listen, losing our patience, and treating each other without much love.
Rob: And… they learn more from what they see than from what we tell them. If they never see us apologize, serve one another, and love each other as Christ loves us, how will they ever discover that path?
Helen: Rob… this Gospel has really challenged me. When I think about what our children experience every day at home, are we truly leading them toward the Father’s right hand… or, without even realizing, are we actually leading them away from Him?
Mother,
Queen of the Family, guide our home so that, through our example, we may lead our spouse and our children closer to the Heart of Jesus. Blessed and praised be You forever, Lord!