Homily for October 21

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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