[Father Paul]
This is week 2 of our small group initiative, and I congratulate and thank all those who are making this journey, and especially our hosts. I hope the discussions this week went well. It is my goal as your pastor to help you grow deeper by making this journey together.
As you know, we are using Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran’s book Rebuilt Faith: a Manual for Skeptical Catholics.” If you would like to join us on this journey through Lent, the book is available after Mass, please see Debbie or one of our hospitality team to secure a copy. I really like that we are reading this together as a parish.
This book, and this journey, is about discipleship. Many many people are joining our parish for the first time, because, I hope, they recognize that they are being called to greatness - not greatness in some secular “power hungry” sense, but greatness in terms of their own happiness and their role in building up the body of christ.
The question is, “what now?” This book lays out a path to discipleship using the acronym “STEPS: Service, Tithing, Engaging with the Christian community (small groups), Prayer and devotion and Sharing the faith. This week, week 2 in the book, we are talking about “S”, service.
Let’s come back to “greatness” for a moment. Greatness as a follower of Jesus is not the same thing as greatness in the world. Jesus strongly and confidently rejected greatness in the world in the temptation in the desert. What is greatness? It's the complete opposite. There are so many times in our lives when we say to ourselves, or those around us: That’s not my job. That’s not what I’m being paid to do. I shouldn't have to do this.” This is how we are tempted by the devil today. The Christian response is the opposite. “It must not be that way with you,” Jesus tells us over and over again. “If you are to be my follower, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” “The first will be last and the last will be first.” “Jesus washed the disciples feet, and he commanded us to do the same.
Let me illustrate this with a story from my own life. In the early summer of 1992, I went to India, by myself, seeking adventure. I had left the seminary, abandoned my vocation to the priesthood, and just wanted to see the world. My first major stop, after flying from Toronto to Vancouver to Seoul, to Taiwan, to Hong Kong, and to Bangkok, was Calcutta. There I volunteered with the missionaries of Charity, and the first person I saw at the mother house where I had to register, was now St. Mother Theresa herself. She taught me how to serve, how to love, and I have a long way to go. But as I began to serve, something bad started to happen. To me. I started to think I was pretty great for volunteering in his absolute …. I can't even describe it. But I remember once, they brought in a man who had been injured by a streetcar, but was also homeless and suffering. It was my job to shave all his body hair and wash him down and shave him. And he had a huge contusion on his head that was infected. So, I worked hard in the heat, and I was tired and pretty grumpy. Then, at 10:00 am all my fellow volunteers abandoned me for their break - they were kind enough to serve us this weak tea with milk. I longed for black coffee. Maybe that's why I’m so happy the coffee here is so good. Anyway, I rushed through my final duties with this homeless man and caught the last few minutes of our tea break. But what about the shaving gear? It's not my job. I just spent the last hour and a half, by myself, cleaning this guy up. Someone else needs to step up here. Or maybe I’ll get to it later when I feel like it, after my needs are met.
Of course, this did not go over so well with the sister in charge, sr. Bella. She tore a strip off me up and down for leaving stuff all over the place. Hey, I'm only in my 20’s. And you know what she said to me? “Go home. We are here to serve, not to be served. If you can't work here like that then find somewhere else to satisfy your ego.”
Ok, I'm done. Or so I thought. But later that night, I felt called to go back. The next morning, luckily Sr. Bella wasn't there, but there was another sister. Sr. Christina. And also another patient who would die of malnutrition a few days later. Sr. Christina called me over to help her, but I was pretty shaken up by my experience the day before. She asked me to help her clean this guy up - he was filled with the most horrible skin sores. But I said to her, probably for the first time in my life, “I don't know what to do.” Her response? “All you have to do is love him.” So I turned and watched how tenderly she ministered to this dying man, who was in agony. And I started to do the same. It was different. I was different. And the only English word he knew was “Pain.” I didn’t understand anything else he was trying to say.
“I wonder what his name is.” I said. “You don't know what his name is? His name is Jesus. Because Jesus said to us, whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.”
Now that took on a whole new meaning. My act of service to him, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and Sr. Christina, became an act of devotion.
Service is one of the most important things we do as followers of Christ. It's about putting the needs of others ahead of ourselves, it's about recognizing the dignity and equality of all people. Discipleship is not just about coming to Mass on Sunday and receiving communion, it’s about helping each other.
I leave you with one challenge before I show this video from Development and Peace: Today you will be presented with an opportunity to serve someone else. It can be a very small thing. But when that moment comes, you might also be tempted, like Jesus in the desert. You might be tempted to say “It’s not my job,” “let someone else do it.” “I’m too important for this, this is beneath me.” Resist this temptation, and Jesus will show you the path of life.
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