DAILY DEVOTIONAL, (TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2017)

Reading the Liturgy Tuesday, February 21, 2017
PF S. Peter Damian, bishop and Doctor of the Church

First reading Sir 2: 1-11
My son, if you want to serve the Lord, preparing to face temptation always have your answer. And be and brave. Do not be anxious at times unfortunate. Berpautlah to God, do not turn away from Him, that you may be upheld at the end of your life. Just accept whatever happens to you
and be patient in everything kehinaanmu change. Because gold is tested in the fire, but the man who loved the Lord tested in the arena of insults. Trust God then he moved on to ignore thee, Flatten your ways and hope in Him. You who fear the Lord wait patiently for His mercy and do not deviate, so you do not fall. You who fear the Lord, trust in Him, surely you will not lose the reward. You who fear the Lord, expect a good, eternal joy and mercy. Think of the force that has-been, and consider: God ever disappoint those who hope in him? Did God abandon those who diligently cautious? Did God ever ignores the people who call on him?
Indeed, God is loving and merciful. He forgives sins and saves in time of adversity.
Thus saith the Lord.

Psalm Ps 37: 3-4.18-19.27-28.39-40
Entrust your life to God, and he will act.
* Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and act faithfully; Delight thyself also in the Lord; He will fulfill the desire of your heart.
* The Lord knows the godly life, and their heritage will remain forever; they will not be ashamed when hit by grave,
and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
* Stay away from evil and do good, then you have a place to stay that is eternal; because God loves the truth, and not leave those whom he loved. Those who do evil will perish and the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
* The righteous will be saved by God; He is their refuge in times of trouble; God helps and rescues them from the hands of the wicked; God save them, because they take refuge in him.

Introduction to Gospel Gal 6:14
No one is proud of, in addition to the Lord's Cross. Hence the world crucified to me, and I to the world.

Gospel reading Mark 9: 30-37
One day Jesus and his disciples across the Galilee. He did not want anyone to know, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after being killed, he will rise." They do not understand the words, but reluctant to ask Jesus. Then Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum. Once inside the house
Jesus asked his disciples, "What are you perbincangkan had been on the road?"
But they were silent, for on the way they had been disputing
who was the greatest among them. Then he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone wants to be first,
he shall be last of all and be the servant of all. "
Jesus then took a child into their midst. Then he hugged the boy and said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, accepts me. And whoever receives me,
I'm actually not that they receive, but He who sent me. "
Thus the Gospel of the Lord.

Devotional.
The debate about who seem to frequently occur in human life, a person who considers himself stronger, smarter, richer than the others. Because everyone feels superior to the other, then there is unfair competition, which even continued to brawl, civil war and others. It seems that rarely people fighting to be servants, but prefer to be a leading man who always served, who always want to be respected. No wonder that people prefer to attend ate of the social event. Mentality is certainly very contrary to the Gospel.
On this day Jesus very well teach us about this. We are told to be humble and be a waiter is ready to accept anyone whether a small, marginalized, the destitute, and those who are considered influential by the community. We raced the race to be servants to others, to help others who are helpless, to comfort those who are desperate. We must be prepared to accept they were very neglected by society. Premises in doing so, we're the largest among all there.
How does our attitude toward others who are suffering, who is excluded, who are considered the dregs of society? Are we ready only served others? Or we just ready to serve certain people? Or ready to serve anyone in need?

Item contemplation.
The temptation was also overshadowing the disciples thought Jesus' disciples. Who was the greatest among them two of twelve? Along the way they crowded gossip about it. When Jesus was asked about what is in question, they are silent. How sad heart of the Master. He has just revealed to His disciples about the risk of a struggle - his in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, the arrested, persecuted and brutally murdered, however, the students seem to be more interested in worldly temptations, who was the greatest among them.
Faced with such a situation, Jesus then gave this teaching: "If someone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and the servant of the all" The paradox is exacerbated by Jesus by showing a child who is often overlooked. "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, instead I were a welcome one, but him that sent me, "
The teaching of Jesus is quite contrary to the ambition and mentality of the disciples of Jesus who lack his reason, and therefore do not understand the purpose statement of Jesus. In the midst of today's modern world, we are still faced with the question of "who is the greatest" in life menggereja. This temptation can make us neglect the duty and our calling as disciples of Jesus. Should every time the temptation arises, we looked back at Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross as a servant.

Prayer.
Yes God is benevolent, and teach us Your people become your waiter, waitress neighbor and take away from us the desire to be served, and mampukanlah us to be humble and have the spirit of service is like you that our acceptance before You. Amen.