whoever wishes to be great among you

“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.” (MT 20: 25-28) 

It is normal that we dream about being recognized as a great person—in the eyes of our parents and teachers, children and spouses, coworkers and bosses. For heaven our greatness is not based on our achievements and scores, but on our ability to recognize the dignity of our brothers and sisters and our desire to serve them—“whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.” 

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)