Homily for the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scriptures for today's Mass
Audio
The point of these scriptures, as the church has
assembled them here,
is that we are called to serve one another
as Jesus served us.
That’s a tall order, especially when phrased in
terms of being
“crushed in
infirmity and affliction”
and being a “servant to others, a slave to all.”
Sometimes it’s helpful to work with the language
scripture uses
- not to water it down, not to dilute it -
but to make it more accessible
in the hope that we might be able to see a way
to live what the Word asks of us.
So, let’s look at what it might mean to be a
servant of others,
even a slave of all - in terms we can grasp and
live up to.
The quick answer here is that we look for ways to
serve others
with our time, our talents and our treasure.
You’ve heard this trio of T words before.
It’s used a lot because it’s true.
• One of our most precious commodities is our
time.
Sharing and giving our time away for others is an
important way
to serve our neighbor.
•Time, and talent. ..
We all have gifts and talents to help us serve one
another.
Some of these are more obvious, more
attention-getting than others -
but all our gifts and talents are meant to be
shared
for the sake of the common good.
• And treasure.
Some of us have more treasure than others
but treasure is a relative category.
A $5 offering from one person
might actually be more and more generous
than a $100 offering from someone else,
depending on our individual, personal resources.
Our treasure is given us by God to be shared,
especially with those in need.
But we’ve heard those three before.
So let me suggest to you 10 other ways we might be
of service to others,
of service to all.
(Did he say TEN
other ways? How long is this homily
going to last?)
Be not afraid.
I’ll make these 10 points briefly - all in bullet points.
1) I can serve others simply by paying attention:
by paying attention to their lives, to their
circumstances:
their pain, their burdens, their joys, their
problems and their fears…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
needs me to pay them more attention?
2) I can serve others with my affection:
with a warm word, a word of praise, a hand on a
shoulder, a hug,
my gentle presence, a firm handshake, any kind
gesture…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
needs a share of my affection?
3) I can serve others with my compassion:
with my reaching out to someone in trouble,
just my “showing up” in someone’s time of need or
loss,
with my silence, when my silent presence
might be the most compassionate gift I can offer…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
is in need of my compassion?
4) I can serve others by including them:
by inviting someone who’s often forgotten,
by including someone who’s often left out,
by reaching out and drawing in someone who’s
afraid to approach…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
is waiting to find, to have, to enjoy a place in
my life?
5) I can serve others with my patience:
with my willingness to wait, without complaint,
with my calmness in matching the slower pace
another sets,
with my perseverance in helping those who stumble
and make mistakes - often…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
would benefit from a more patient response from
me?
6) I can serve others with my forgiveness:
with my not holding others to standards
higher than I set for myself,
with my letting go my grudges and resentments,
with my pardoning without punishing…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
might I set free simply by forgiving them?
7) I can serve others with my generosity:
with my freely giving - even before I’m asked,
with my quietly giving, behind the scenes,
with my giving until I feel the pinch myself…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
has wants and needs my generosity might answer and
supply?
8) I can serve others with my understanding:
with my taking time to really listen,
with letting go my prejudice and bias,
with my opening up to other points of view…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
needs a more understanding response from me?
9) I can serve others with my truth:
with my speaking honestly when a lie would be much
easier,
with my speaking accurately when I’m tempted to
exaggerate,
with my speaking face to face and not behind
another’s back…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
deserves a more honest, accurate, personal
response from me?
10) I can serve others with my prayer:
by praying for others,
by praying for others and letting them know I
prayed for them,
by inviting others to join me in prayer…
So I might ask myself: who at home, at work, at
school,
who around me,
who needs my prayers, who needs to know I pray for
them,
who might I invite to join me in prayer?
Ten simple ways for all of us to serve one another
as followers of
Jesus who served us.
I doubt that in serving this way that we’ll find
ourselves
“afflicted
and crushed in infirmity”
or that we’ll feel we’ve been made a slave to
others.
Actually, serving in these ways will likely bring
us joy,
the joy of giving of ourselves, in love, for
others.
The greatest service Jesus offered us
was the gift of his life on the Cross.
He continues to offer us that gift, here at his
table,
where, in the Bread and Cup of the Eucharist,
he nourishes and strengthens us to serve one
another.
As the Lord served us with his attention and
affection,
his compassion and inclusion, his patience and
forgiveness,
his generosity and understanding, his truth and
his prayer:
as Jesus served us,
so let us serve one another
at home, at work, at school and all around us.
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