First Reading
Reading from the book of Jeremiah
Jeremiah 18:18-20
In those days, the enemies of the prophet said to one another: «Come, let us plot a scheme against Jeremiah; for the priest will not lack teaching, the wise man will not lack counsel, nor the prophet inspiration. Come, let us attack him with words and pay no attention to his oracles.»
Then Jeremiah said to the Lord:
«Listen to me, Lord.
Hear what my adversaries are saying.
Is evil returned for good?
For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.»
Gospel
Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew
Matthew 20:17-28
At that time, as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve disciples aside and said to them: «Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.»
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something. He said to her, «What do you wish?» She answered, «Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.» Jesus said in reply, «You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?» They said to him, «We can.» He replied, «My chalice you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this, is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.»
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, «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.»