Service

Today’s Gospel Text: Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”  Jn. 12: 24-26

Reflection: For some people service comes very easily; whether it is a service to the poor or to the sick.

Some are proficient in delegated service or a work that is delegated to them.

There are some types who will avoid any form of service, even a service for a noble cause.

The Christian idea of service has a very broad meaning and starts with the service of the God who also serves us because of his great love for us.

Hence a good and faithful service is founded on the love of God and this love of God is made easy by the death of Jesus on the cross; a proof of the eternal and persistent love of God.

Since we have a proof of God’s love in the cross of Jesus, all that we need to do is to respond to this love initiative of God.

A love initiative that is sealed in the precious of blood of Jesus and now continues to be manifested in various ways.

On the other hand there are many who want to serve the Lord and do mighty things for him but would not want to follow him and his teachings.

Of this Jesus already warns us about them:

“Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."  (DR: Mt. 7:21)

On the other hand Jesus assures us of the reward which every human being seeks, including a servant.

The reward will be the presence of Christ Jesus and the honor the Father will give to the one who sincerely and in a dedicated way serves Him.

Prayer:  Lord, teach us the way of service that our lives may glorify your holy name.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

 

I Thank Thee

Today’s Gospel Text: At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26 yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matt 11:25-27

Reflection:  The power of mere word; ‘thank you’ and the beauty thereof, who can describe it?

What can thanks offer in the light of the material goods we offer to people as a symbol of gratitude or what material goods can we compare 'thanks' with? 

Or, let us look at the value a mere ‘thank you’ could hold for people in general, especially in cultures where very few people express it.  

Some cultures may be fortunate to make use of this word very often for every service that is rendered, even when there is no obligation on them to express it.

Sometimes it’s so unfortunate to see the attitude of people, towards a person in paid service, not to be thankful for the good service offered. 

The attitude is generally this; “it is his duty to do so and I am paying for the service”

In other words and in these situations money is the animating factor; I am paying for the services and so why should I show gratitude.

The humaneness and humanity is pushed to a second level or may be even much lower and money, which accompanies pride, is what gains precedence.  We can even safely say that this can only be the attitude of a people whose god is their money.

But the people whose God is the Lord God, and who know from his teachings how to love, will show gratitude and respect the right and dignity of the human person.

Thus they will even show gratitude towards any services rendered to them, even if they have paid for it.

This should be a reminder, that not everyone who serves, serves for the sake of money but serves also for survival or serves because of job satisfaction or some may serve in order to genuinely render a noble service towards a human cause and money may just be a secondary or irrelevant issue with them.

But the beginning of a good heart that is genuinely grateful is the one that always seeks to render thanks and even praise to his maker, by first seeking and recognizing the one true God, the giver of all things that is good for us and for our salvation. 

Christ Jesus served us by giving himself totally to serve us, even unto death, so that we may be saved from eternal doom. 

Prayer:  Lord, may I never fail to thank thee for revealing to me the hidden mystery in Christ Jesus and all that you still provide for our good through his saving action.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Servanthood

Today’s Gospel Text: Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23 He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; 28 even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matt 20:20-28

Reflection: The most intriguing part of today’s gospel passage is the woman, the mother of  the sons of Zebedee.

How were they so sure of this mystery of Jesus’ special power and of his kingdom? And which Kingdom were they talking about, the earthly or heavenly?

Nevertheless, they still ask him for that favour and from the reaction of the other 10 disciples it becomes evident that the woman was pleading for a position for the sons. They couldn’t be so doing unless they had communicated that ambition to their mother.

Seems that they wanted their mother to play the seductive role of influencing Jesus with a request, Hence the other disciples were not angry with the mother but with their companion.

It is not bad to have an ambition for the greater things of life and in no way Jesus discourages that, evident even in this passage, What is important and to be kept in mind, is that there are no short cuts to positions.

Still more important and a necessary fact would be that there are no such glories in any positions in the church of God.

Hence if someone aspires to be a Bishop or a superior for self glory, then they fail to see his vocation in the light of Christian revelation. It is like seeking to serve ones own interest rather than the interest of the one, on account of whom we are alive and surviving, by whose wisdom we are able to do anything good to our brothers and sisters.

Similarly, the demand for women priests is an aberration in our time in the light of Christ teaching on servanthood and positions of power,

What about the many who are envious about someone else's position and gifts, those who manifest jealousy and through intrigues try to pull down others through false accusations and allegations- are they not also walking in the same folly of the overambitious?

Prayer: Lord, may I seek to serve and not to be served at in whatever positions and wherever you call me to serve.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

True Service

Today’s Gospel: And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them.

32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together about the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, 37 and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." 38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:29-39

Reflection:   “and she served them”, what a privilege it is to serve the Lord and Simon’s mother-in-law did just that. Humanity is has always been attracted by the term “selfless service”.  We may all want to serve and yet not all can find it in their ability to serve.     

But the important point of service which we miss out is that of real and actual service.  Jesus by healing Peter’s mother-in-law from her situation had done the greater service than she who served on them.  Thus for a Christian the greater service concerns the things of God and his glory. God made us to love him, to serve him and to be with him forever.     

Whereas we see service in what is visible and manifest before us. Rarely, do we acknowledge the service of the visibly less active, who in reality have been more active in serving God in prayer and worship and carrying his message to others. The sincere prayers of a bedridden patient can sustain many lives and bring blessing to the countless.  

Right knowledge should lead us to right action. As Christians we see divine wisdom in Jesus action when he approves of Mary’s service of worship and assimilation more than Martha’s visible service.  (Lk. 10:38ff)

Prayer:  Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Ps 100:1-2

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Pray Prophetically

Scripture:  And his father Zechari'ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.  

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways. Luke 1:67-76 

Reflection:  There is hardly any difference between a prophecy and prayer; even a prayer is a prophetic word because it is based on God’s word and not any human word. Therefore what Zechariah prophesies is in a way also a prayer of praise which is new and yet not new because it is there before us in the Old Testament.  It is new because it communicates the immediate reality and that which is to take place.

The Church when it uses this prophetic utterance uses it as a prayer of praise, to whom it is due and to remind us of the prophetic revelation of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

This is what Jesus meant when he says that henceforth the true worshippers of the Father shall worship him in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. (cfr. Jn. 4:23)

Let your prayer be spontaneous not based on human wisdom and self deliberations but let it come through the practice of waiting on him in his holy temple where the Holy Spirit dwells.  

Prayer: May I become O Lord your instrument of service by learning to wait on you in your Holy temple.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship: Come grow in the Lord with us

Faithful Servant

Scripture: "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table'? 8 Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'" Luke 17:7-10

Reflection:  In our service in God’s vineyard there are often times when we go through painful doubts of hurt and rejection. Often wondering whether the master cares for us or not, whether he loves us or not, whether his presence is with us or not?

There is no room for such feelings for a good servant who has entered into a contract with the master. If the servant has entered into a contract of faithful service to his master and is happy doing his job then nothing should come in between his duty to the master and himself that should disturb his peace.  In human terms the master may seem demanding and exploitative but he eternally cares for his servant whom he provides and feed;” afterward you shall eat and drink”.

Yet when we faithfully follow the Gospel, and experience all sorts of rejections then we forget our contract with the Lord and even get into a form of self pity; poor me, why am I suffering or why me Lord? We tend to get enclosed in on ourselves and forget the promise we made to him and the acceptance of the daily cross of life.

Prayer:  Lord, make me a servant dedicated and committed to you.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us