A few years ago in our Annual Clergy Convocation in Newport, our main speaker talked about the “joys of the priesthood.” In one of his talks, he touched on the topic of narcissism as one of the pitfalls of priestly ministry. Narcissism is that tendency to see oneself as the center of the universe, and that everything should be about “myself.” Msgr. Rossetti, our convocation speaker, commented that some form of narcissism exists in each one of us, which means there is always that innate desire to be great in every person. This is not entirely wrong because ultimately our desire for greatness, if purified, would lead us to God, the One Who Is Wholly Great. How does this play out? Human experience will tell us that nothing from this world truly satisfies with finality the human heart. Once we reach a goal, we move on to another project, and the cycle goes on and on. This reminds us of the famous
dictum from Augustine: our heart is restless until it rest in You, My Lord. Our innate desire, then, for what is “best” is an indication that we are created for the Supreme Good, who is God. The desire for greatness would be catastrophic and spiritually lethal if it stops on the self, meaning self-serving, and sees the other as a competition and a threat. This runs contrary to our basic identity as created in God’s own image and likeness, which means that our flourishing will only happen if we see it in relation to other people.
The Gospel this weekend recounts the story of the brothers James and John requesting the “best seats” in the Kingdom of God. Their request is basically a desire to be the greatest among the citizens of God’s kingdom. Talk about “spiritual lobbying” at play here. In the first glance, it seems that their desires were noble. They wanted to be the closest to Jesus. But, we need to ask an important question: What kind of kingdom were they projecting or anticipating? Were they thinking about “heaven” when they were talking about the Kingdom that Jesus will inaugurate? They were probably thinking that Jesus would be proclaimed an earthly king once he toppled the Roman Empire. They weren’t really thinking about heaven. This changes the whole scenario because if they were requesting to be seated at the left and right side of the King, then they were practically requesting to be the closest advisers of the King. They were looking for earthly power and influence. Jesus quickly reminds them that the standard of greatness in the Kingdom of God is so different from the standards of the world: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Jesus sets in here the criterion for greatness in the Kingdom of God: loving service. The irony of greatness in the standards of God’s kingdom is that one has to be the least in order to be great. One has to be the “last” in order to be “first.” One has to lose “oneself” in order to be found. Discipleship is a call to “dying from self.” This is basically what Christ did. “Losing his life” on the cross brought about the renewal of life in every person. The very life of Christ, then, is the model par excellence for every disciple who wants to be great in the Kingdom of God. As followers of Christ, how are we progressing in that call to be great in the Kingdom of God? Looking at our life right now, could we qualify to the “hall of fame” in the Kingdom of God? – Fr. Cary