Gospel (Mk 10,32-45) - At that time, while they were on the road to go up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked in front of the disciples and they were dismayed; those who followed him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him: «Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the pagans, they will mock him, spit on him, scourge him and kill him, and after three days he will rise again." James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said to him: "Master, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you." He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" They answered him: «Grant us to sit, in your glory, one at your right and one at your left». Jesus said to them: «You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”. They replied: "We can." And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you too will drink, and in the baptism with which I am baptized you will also be baptized. But sitting on my right or my left is not up to me to grant; it is for those for whom it was prepared." The other ten, having heard, began to be indignant with James and John. Then Jesus called them to him and said to them: «You know that those who are considered the rulers of the nations rule over them and their leaders oppress them. However, this is not the case among you; but whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

The Gospel presents us with Jesus who continues to walk with his disciples towards Jerusalem. And, not surprisingly, the evangelist points out that he stands "before them", just like the shepherd does, thus showing the responsibility of the one who guides with love those who have been entrusted to him. Jesus confides to them, for the third time, what will happen to him in Jerusalem. The Apostles - and the others - remain "dismayed". After saying these things, James and John approach Jesus and ask him to sit at his right hand, that is, to have a high and important place. This sounds even sadder due to the stark contrast with what Jesus has just confided to his disciples. Once again, as had happened shortly before, the disciples are very distant from the master's words. They were still under the thumb of the world's mentality. They could not think of Jesus as a condemned and killed Messiah! And Jesus still teaches how power should be understood among Christians: "Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all." Jesus indicates what the path of the disciple is: to serve brothers and the poor freely and generously. In the Christian community, he who serves is great. And whoever wants to be first must be first in service, not in command. And Jesus is the first to give the example: "Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Every Christian, like the community to which he belongs, is called to contemplate Jesus and imitate him.