HOMILY FOR THE 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.
Serviam! I will serve!
“Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart.”
Dear friends, the words written above comprise the opening prayer of this Sunday’s Mass in which our Mother Church wishes to remind us of our VOCATION AND MISSION AS CHRISTIANS TO SERVE GOD AND OTHERS, CONFORMING OURSELVES TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST’S EXAMPLE WHO CAME “TO SERVE AND NOT TO BE SERVED”
1. WRONG USE OF AUTHORITY. AUTHORITY IS SERVICE.
In the present-day society, men and women struggle to occupy the highest places of power, of influence, of honor, of authority…perhaps forgetting that their mission is to serve the others and not to take advantage of their position to subjugate, dominate and oppress those below them.
Our Lord’s logic goes against this widespread tendency. He proposes to his followers the following words of today’s Gospel (Cf. Mk 10: 35-45):
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. FOR THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY (Mk 10:43–45).”
- – Our Lord did not come to be served but to serve! See Our Lord’s humility and love? The Son of God Himself, one in being with the Father, Creator of all things and Redeemer of mankind, bows down before man in order to serve him: the Creator serving his creature! But not only that, He also gives His Life for mankind in order to save us.
- – God’s greatness consists in His humility, in his willingness to make Himself small, whether be it in Bethlehem or Calvary or in the Tabernacle. And all these, He did out of love for us, Only with a humility and love like this shall we learn to serve others as well.
2. THIS SPIRIT OF SERVICE WAS TO BE CARRIED OUT THROUGH SACRIFICE.
As we see in the 1st reading (Is 53:10–11) which refers to Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Servant of God who gives his life “as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.”
- – If we are to imitate Our Lord in serving others, we must be ready to renounce and sacrifice ourselves. On the contrary, a proud person will only think of his interests and will flee from anything that would require him to abase himself for others.
3. SERVIAM! I WILL SERVE
Our Lord God, the High Priest, is at our service, at our entire disposal. He did not only suffer and die for us but He knows as well our weaknesses because He became one like us except in sin and so He encourages us to confidently approach Him, the “throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help (Heb 4:14–16).”
- -If God gave His Son, and His Son gave His Life for all of us, what would He not give us in order to attain authentic happiness? God serves us listening to our pleas and helping us through his grace.
- -May we be able to serve others by lending them our time to listen to their sorrows and our hand to help them in the way we could.
Let us ask God so that we may follow His example and mission in serving others. Let us “[d]iscover Our Lord behind each event and in every circumstance, and then, from everything that happens, you will be able to draw more love for God and a greater desire to respond to him. He is always waiting for us, offering us the possibility to fulfil at all times that resolution we made: Serviam! I will serve you.” May we repeat many times during the day, SERVIAM! I will serve You Lord in the people you have placed beside me, overcoming my pride and love of comfort.
4. CONCRETE EXAMPLES
How do we convert our noble desire to serve Our Lord and those around us?
We don’t have to wait for a special occasion to serve. Daily life gives us many opportunities to serve from the most material to the most spiritual.
– carrying out your work with a spirit of service
– helping at home with the household chores, or other people with a smile, making life pleasant for others
– praying for the holiness, fidelity and apostolic zeal of all Catholics; for their conversion, for vocations, in reparation for sins
– apologizing and forgiving
– attending to the sick or to people who are in need
– listening with patience to your spouse
– giving good example
– being available for whatever is needed at home, in the parish etc… and the list goes on.
May the Virgin Mary, “Ancilla Domini” (Handmaid of the Lord), help us in our resolve to grow daily in the spirit of service for love of God and the good of many souls.
May we know how to put ourselves “out cheerfully, discreetly and generously each day, serving others and making their lives more pleasant. To act in this way is to practise the true charity of Jesus Christ.
(St. Josemaria, Forge, n. 150)
-Fr. Rolly Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei, CATHOLICS STRIVING FOR HOLINESS. We are also in Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatholicsstrivingforHoliness. Hope you like our page and invite your friends as well to do so in order to help more people.
PHOTO SOURCE: Juan de Mesa, Cristo del Amor (Parroquia del Divino Salvador) in http://cofrades.sevilla.abc.es/profiles/blogs/obras-de-juan-de-mesa-1-parte
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Thanks and God bless you and your loved ones! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo.