What do you want to be when you grow up? We know the most common answers: doctor, nurse, teacher, police officer, firefighter, astronaut, a mommy or a daddy. Imagine what our response would be if a little one would say a servant.
All through our lives we are called to be just that; a servant. We serve our children as parents, we serve our parents as they age, we serve each other. We volunteer for school and community activities all the time.
As people of faith do we strive to serve Jesus and His Kingdom by becoming servants and slaves to all?
Mark's Gospel today gives us the example of how not to serve; at least that seems to be the case. Two brothers, Apostles, James and John, nicknamed Sons of Thunder, seem to want glory, honor and prestige from Jesus. They asked almost demanding He do it. But Jesus asks a question of His own: Can you drink the cup? Can you share in my Baptism? In other words; hey guys you sure talk the talk, can you walk the walk.
Jesus is explaining to our two ambitious brothers, and all of us too, that we are indeed called to follow Him, to serve Him and each other while accepting the lofty demands of discipleship.
How are we to know what this looks like for us in our own day. I would submit that all of us have plenty of powerful examples. For me I recall the serving spirit of two of our own parishioners, Al and Elaine Andry. These two folks were called to serve children with special needs. With no outside funding, no governmental assistance they started an orgamization that ministered to and served thousands of families. They often did this from their own pocketbook and often mortgaged their home to help this special children. They no longer are able to do this but served faithfully for many, many years.
Long before I arrived at Rayburn Prison in my capacity as pastoral chaplain, I met three men from neighboring Mary Queen of Peace Parish. Responding to a call from another lay prison minister, Mike and John and Jimmy all volunteered to serve by bringing the Eucharist and their RCIA program to the incacerated men. They have been faithfully doing this for years. And all three servants are well in to their retirement years.
These are two examples of what Jesus is talking about. They drink the cup, they live their baptism and they walk the walk.
Today is also World Mission Sunday. This is something few of us pay much attention to even if we are among those who will at least drop a donation in the second collection today.
Do we know that it was missionaries that helped establish our Diocese and brought Catholicism to the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. Missionaries spread the Word and the Faith to the four corners of the world. And this serving spirit is still needed in our world today. Missionaries are making a difference in China, India, across Asia and beyond. Modern day missionaries are now sustaining and supplementing Catholicism across America and contributing to the growth of the Church in places that had little Catholic presence. One example for us in New Orleans would be the faithful service of so many Vietnamense Priests and religious who relocated here after the war.
In last week's Clarion Herald Archbishop Gregory Aymond said that at our Baptism each of us becomes a missonary. Each of us is called to serve and live our Baptism. Not all of us will be called to go throughout the world. We can serve locally. What then can we do?
We can support all missionary activity with our prayers.
We can offer our fiancial support starting today with this most important second collection.
And we can drink the cup and walk the walk by serving right where we live, work, shop and play. We have a couple of dozen parish ministries, we can join one this week or at least support their projects and programs. Do we support our parish school of religion, with our prayers and volunteer efforts? Can we volunteer even a modest amount of time to those in hospitals, nursing homes or our local food bank?
We have been called to serve not to be served. In this call Jesus asks of us no more than what was asked of Him: for the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Can we drink the cup, can we walk the walk?
When the Father asks us what do we want to be when we grow up? Answer, the servant of all.
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