“He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language served him.”Dan 7:14.
Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.” Lk 22:27.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Mt 6:24
“The greatest among you must be your servant.” Mt 23:11.
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the servant of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life for the ransom for many.” Mk 10:43-45.
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come & serve them.” Lk 12:37.
“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” Rom 1:9.
“We serve in the new life of the Spirit.” Rom 7:6.
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them; if service, in our serving,”
Rom 12 :6-7.
“Through love be servants of one another.” Gal 5:13.
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40; cf. 25:45). The awareness of communion with Christ and with our brothers and sisters, for its part the fruit of conversion, leads to the service of our neighbors in all their needs, material and spiritual, since the face of Christ shines forth in every human being. “Solidarity is thus the fruit of the communion.” Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, 1997, 52.
“I wish all the more to encourage the faithful to take up, with commitment and love of the Lord, this service to the Church, generously offering their time and their talents. Bishops for their part should be concerned that catechists receive appropriate formation.” Ibid
“To grow in discipleship throughout life, all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish and diocesan communities of faith and service.” USCCB, Burning Hearts, 1999.
“Every believer is called to serve “the least of these,” to “hunger and thirst for justice,” to be a “peacemaker.” USCCB, Pastoral Reflection for Lay Discipleship for Justice.
“Service within the Church should form and strengthen believers for their mission in the world. With this pastoral statement we are addressing in a special way the demands of discipleship.” Ibid.
All human beings have unique talents, gifts from God that we are called to develop and share. We should celebrate this diversity. People who use their skills and expertise for the common good, the service of others, and the protection of creation, are good stewards of the gifts they have been given. When we labor with honesty, serve those in need, work for justice and contribute to charity, we use our talents to show our love–and God’s love–for our brothers and sisters.
“ Love is therefore the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly to human sufferings and needs, including material needs. And this is the aspect, this service of charity.” Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love.
Service
Those who possess the gift of service work on fulfilling the spiritual, financial, material or personal needs of others. They serve out of their strong faith and love based spirituality nourished by Mass and the sacraments. Communion and communication with others is based on a sensitivity to their needs and situations. Jesus is their example and inspiration, knowing Him personally allows them to serve their brothers and sisters, young and old with the love of Jesus. They are disciples of Jesus motivated by his love and concern for the rich and poor, the close and those who live far away.
Serving others is not a burden, it is a delight.
Questions to share
- Which passage touches you or burns in your heart the most? Why?
- How have you exercised this gift in the past?
- How are you now exercising this gift in ministry?
- Do you see new ways you can exercise this ministry in the future?