Service is matter of distance

Listening to the Spirit

Lord, thank you for the gift of Your Word
so that all your people may know and love You more
and understand You better.

As I go about my day may I not forget
the scriptures you have opened up for me.
Help me to recognize how You want for me
to apply Your Word to my daily life.

Holy Spirit, guided by Your Word,
may You enlighten my mind
and enkindle in my heart
a greater love for You and for others
in my family and in the world.

Listening to the Word

Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “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.”

Reflection

“What do you want me to do for you?”

This is the question of Jesus to James and John, the two brothers that were nicknamed the “Thunder” because of their character and way of acting. This is Jesus' question to Bartimaeus, a blind person, who was begging along the road. This is the question for each of us: what do you want Me to do for you? Answer the question! What does it come to your mind? Maybe good health, if you are sick and old; a good family and a job supporting your beloved ones; peace; good relationships with others, etc.

When we relate with others, for example on the place of job, how are our relationships? There are times we want the others to respect us, to recognize our efforts and to be applauded. There are other times that we look for position and power. There are times that we want to help and make the other feel well. We are made like this, there is good and bad in us. But Jesus tells us something new about our relationships: “Those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, […] But it shall not be so among you.” (Mk 10:42)

Being above the other is the maximum possible distance from the other. While we are invited to imitate our Lord Jesus, who places Himself at the maximum closeness: at our feet. Jesus did it. He washed our feet, not to show his humbleness but to care and heal our injuries. I choose to go down, to be lower, to embrace the pain and the suffering, sometimes the rage and weaknesses of my brothers and sisters. This is service. It could be for myself affirmation and satisfaction (“Masarap maglingkod”). But to understand real service is matter of reducing the distance with the others.

Today is World Mission Sunday and Pope Francis is inviting us to “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt. 22:9). It is clear the appeal, the urgency of going and making ourselves close to all the people, good and bad so that they can take part to the table, the altar prepared weekly, the Eucharistic Celebration and at the end of time, to that banquet prepared by God for all the people of the world to become one and rejoice of the promise of a full understanding to one another. No more sins, no more evil, no more enemies, no more hate, no more distance from one another. But everybody will be one in the Lord and love/service/care/healing will be the action to one another.