“Serving others allows us to receive what God actually wants to give to us.”
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His death the Son of Man will rise.”
I was both edified and surprised when a sickly septuagenarian applied to enter our formation program a few years ago as a seminarian. He had lived a life of service. He served as a Mass server in his parish, served his aging and sick parents till they passed away, postponed getting married so that he could help his younger siblings through college, studied law in college so he could serve those who could not afford a lawyer, served in a lay Catholic movement throughout his life, and served his sick wife for over a decade before she died of cancer.
I had to gently convince him that his age and health issues made it impossible for us to admit him to the strenuous and demanding seminary formation. I encouraged him to find another way of service. He accepted but still added, “I have served all my life. I just want to serve.”
I found myself praying that I would be like this man and keep alive my desire to serve others. His parting words reminded me of Jesus Christ who “came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”(Mt 20:28) Jesus served all persons throughout His earthly life to His last breath on the cross.
Nothing stopped Him from this selfless service. Because He “took the form of a slave” and “obeyed till death on the cross,” the Father glorified Him, “exalting Him and bestowing on Him the name above all other names.”(Phil 2:5-11) Jesus shows us that the only way to true greatness, the greatness that God wills for all of us, is to use all that we have to serve all persons all the time for His sake. Just as it was for Him, so it is for us: To serve is to reign.
Our Lord Jesus Christ leads us along this path of service for God’s sake that leads to true glory. He informed His disciples that His life of service will culminate in His complete self-offering on the cross for our salvation, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill Him, and three days after His death the Son of Man will rise.”( Mk 9:30-37) He laid down His life for us on the cross so that we too can follow His life of service, “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his footsteps.”(1Pet 2:21)
Four things happen to us when we ignore this invitation of Jesus to serve others selflessly for His sake.
Firstly, we end up fighting each other like demons.
The disciples ignored this invitation of Jesus to selfless service because of fear, “But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question Him.” This would prove deadly for them because they ended up believing that the way to true greatness was by arguing and fighting each other, “They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.”
When we fail to serve like Christ, our passions will overcome us, and “jealousy and selfish ambition will exist, yielding disorder and every foul practice…You kill and envy but you cannot obtain.”(James 3:16-4:3) We sin and wound others with God’s gifts. Instead of using God’s gifts to serve all, we will use them to bring others down to get ahead of them.
Secondly, we become frustrated.
We give into a covetous spirit that leads to frustration, “You covet but do not possess.” The more that we have, the more that we want. We eventually begin to crave what belongs to others. We become sad or lose our peace when others have what we do not have. We can even begin to desire that which is morally wrong for us.
We become restless because we forget that we are gifted for service to others and not for mere accumulation or enjoyment. Unless we make use of all that we have in service for the sake of Christ, we condemn ourselves to a torturous and restless heart.
Thirdly, we do not pray well.
Our prayer life dies when we are not also intent on loving service, “You do not possess because you do not ask.” Jesus’ life of service flowed from His deep prayer life, “He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”(Lk 6:12) The grace that God offers us in prayer must lead us to selfless service like Jesus.
Serving others selflessly produces a deep desire for communion with God in prayer. Jesus touches us through those whom we serve, no matter how small or insignificant they are, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.” We cannot fathom the abundance of graces rejected through abortion and the complacent attitude of many to the murder of the unborn. We cannot expect to have a deep and powerful connection with God in prayer while ignoring the authentic needs of others for whom we have been gifted.
Fourthly, our prayers are futile.
Serving others allows us to receive what God actually wants to give to us. But when we only focus on satisfying our sinful and selfish desires and feelings, we cannot receive from God, “You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
To ask rightly in prayer is to ask for what is for the service of others and the glory of God. If we want God to answer our prayers, let us beg for those things that are truly beneficial to others and not just to ourselves.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, how strong is our desire and resolve to serve all persons all the time? What are the many excuses that we make for not serving others? How are we choosing to serve only a select few who are good to us while ignoring those who irritate or criticize us? How are we placing conditions before offering service to others? Do we serve only when there is something beneficial for us? How do we find ourselves loving and serving those in the Church while neglecting those that we live with?
We can reflect and answer these prayers honestly before Jesus on the crucifix. Let us allow Him to deliver us from these terrible attitudes to service.
Let us also look to Mary, our loving Mother. The angel asked her to be the Virgin Mother of God. Mary did not reply, “Behold, I am the Virgin Mother of God,” or “Behold, I am Full of grace.” She chose to be a servant of God all her life no matter the situations that came her way, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.”(Lk 1:38) She followed Jesus Christ in His faithful service to the point of being with Him on Calvary. She will and she can help us too to serve all people all the days of our lives.
Our Eucharistic Lord does not only give us a share in His life by grace. He also gives us a share in His desire and resolve to serve God and others to the very end. If we begin today to serve all for His sake, we shall one day reign with Him for all eternity.
Glory to Jesus!!! Honor to Mary!!!
Image credit: Unsplash+ License
Homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) – Readings: Wisdom 2:17-20 | Psalms 54:3-4, 5, 6-8 | James 3:16–4:3 | Mark 9:30-37.
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About the author:
Fr. Nnamdi Moneme, OMV, is a Roman Catholic priest and religious of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary currently serving in the Philippines. He teaches theology and is a seminary formator for candidates to the priesthood and religious life. Father also gives Ignatian retreats and serves as spiritual director to many of the lay, religious, and clergy in the area.
He earned his first degree in Physics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. Ordained in 2009, he studied at St. John’s seminary, in Brighton, Massachusetts. Father has an STL/MA in Moral Theology from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.
Father Moneme blogs at https://toquenchhisthirst.wordpress.com/.
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