Scripture Reading
Mark 10:43-45
"But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Reflection
The disciples argued about who was greatest, and Jesus answered by pointing to a towel and a basin rather than a throne. Greatness in God's kingdom is measured in service rendered, not honors received. The Son of God himself set the standard — he gave everything. Our small acts of service today participate in that same divine downward movement.
Prayer for Today
O God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered, grant that the solemn services of this day may make us deeply sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of human life, and of the transitory nature of all earthly things.
Amen.