Mission Service

10-20-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that SERVICE is the core value of our faith. For this reason, anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.

The unusual request of the brothers James and John became the occasion for Jesus to emphasize the importance of SERVICE in the ministry. Unlike the young man's question in the Gospel last Sunday, the two disciples were not seeking how to inherit eternal life but a place of glory with Jesus. Because He was on His way to Jerusalem, they thought He was preparing to assume power, and they wanted a share in the glory of Jesus. They completely forgot His mission and how He intends to accomplish it through His Passion, that He must suffer and die at the hands of their leaders. The lure of greatness urges them to ask for a place of honor, taking a seat, one at His right and the other on His left.

One of the natural tendencies of men is to fulfill our worldly ambitions. In the world of competition, being the best, being number one, and being on top a place of honor and power sometimes is the most important. The pressure to become number one at all costs makes us vulnerable to questionable schemes and the trap of easy or instant wealth, ultimate success, and the glamour of fame and prominence. Jesus warns us of the many deceptions attached to this kind of mindset. Beware of seeking earthly vanity, success, and self-glorification. It is the service to others that leads to greatness.

Like His reaction to the rich young man, Jesus looks at them with love and invites them to follow the path of true greatness. James and John were trying to find their place among the Apostles, forgetting that they were disciples of Jesus. Sometimes, the best way to find ourselves is to lose ourselves in the service of others. Jesus came to serve and not to be served. After hearing the request of the two disciples, Jesus realized how little the disciples grasped about His Mission. He intends to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah about the suffering servant: He is the lamb led to the slaughter. He calls suffering a baptism to show that its effect means the cleansing of the sins of humanity.

The final honor and glory of every disciple receiving Jesus Himself. Jesus accomplishes this by laying down His life as a ransom for our sins, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away our sins. He differs vastly from worldly leaders, who often lord their authority and power over their subjects or constituents. But with Jesus, the Messiah comes as the suffering servant who has come to serve and not to be served and to give His life as a ransom for many and the salvation of humanity. He also invites His followers to take the same path. The pattern and way of life for a disciple to enter glory is to serve the needs of all. The way to glory is by humble service, and there is nothing small in the service of GOD.

True power and greatness begin in humble service. The humble bends down to serve without any fanfare, without counting the cost, without pride and fear. Who is the greatest and the most powerful? The one who genuinely and humbly ministers to all. Jesus teaches us that humility is the key to true greatness. The greatest among us are those who can stoop down and serve, those who can forget their position to minister to the needs of others. Remember: We have two hands. One to help ourselves, the other to help others.