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Today’s
liturgy is about service. In the opening prayer we ask for "strength
and joy in serving God as followers of Christ." The first
reading is from the fourth servant song of Second Isaiah:
the prophet sings of one who "gives his life as an offering." The
Gospel is about disciples who want to be important. Jesus
teaches them this lesson: "whoever wants to rank first
among you must serve the needs of all." In the prayer
over the gifts, we ask for the "freedom to serve you with
our lives."
Our Lord and Master calls us to be a community of service. Our strength comes
from following in the footsteps of this Master, who "has not come to be served
but to serve."
What is our service to the world? If all we do is affirm the world’s wisdom,
what kind of service is that? After all, it is the wisdom of the world that has
lead us into the dark alleys of hatred, alienation, and killing. "It cannot
be like that with you." We must provide an alternative to the wisdom of the
world: that is the greatest service we can offer.
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“The fundamental moral criterion for all economic decisions, policies,
and institutions is this: They must be at the service of all people, especially
the poor.”
(U.S. Bishops, Economic Justice for All,1986: 24)
“The process of development and liberation takes concrete shape in the exercise
of solidarity, that is to say in the love and service of neighbor, especially
of the poorest.”
(Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis,1987: 46)
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Now published in book form, To Love and Serve:
Lectionary Based Meditations, by Gerald Darring
This entire three year cycle is available at Amazon.com.
Copyright © 1994, Gerald Darring.
All Rights Reserved.
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Art by Martin Erspamer, O.S.B.
from Religious Clip Art for the Liturgical Year (A, B, and C).
Used by permission of Liturgy Training Publications. This art may be reproduced only by parishes who purchase the collection
in book or CD-ROM form. For more information go to:
http://www.ltp.org/ |
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