The Letter of Saint James says the wisdom from above manifests itself as pure, but who among us has totally pure motives for anything we do? The apostles sure didn’t, as they tried to elbow each other out of first place as greatest among Jesus’ followers.

Many people who go to Mass this weekend are in some kind of conflict—with themselves, family members, coworkers, maybe even with the church. Where does it come from? The readings point to the kind of conflict that comes from within ourselves, when our desires become selfish and clash with others.

My 5-year-old nephew is already playing Mass, as Catholic children are wont to do. He holds up his cup with both hands at the supper table and delivers a string of words culled from the liturgy but arranged most creatively.

There are some who play because they have a sheer love of the game. But they are few and far between. And then there are those who play to win. And for too many, that means winning at all costs.

My daughter, Hannah, was naturally loving, as all babies are. She thrilled her grandparents and aunts and uncles with her willingness to sit in their laps and cuddle with nary a whimper for Mommy or Daddy.

I was on retreat once when a group of us were talking about spiritual practices that we find helpful. One guy shyly admitted that he makes a practice of doing something nice for some person every day while making sure no one knows about it—especially the person the good deed was done to.

God upholds our lives. Let us call upon our God who sustains us to hear these prayers we make in the name of the human family.

They were afraid to question him. The disciples do not understand, and they are afraid to ask about what they do not understand. Probably Mark is trying to help his readers understand something they may have already known: The apostles abandoned Jesus at his death.

To follow Christ by bending down to our brothers and sisters . . . to be everything to everyone, to undervalue nothing that pertains to Christ; to be thirsty for only one thing, to be concerned with only one thing when dealing with the One Christ. —Isaac de l’Etoile (d. ca. 1167)