Being of service

In President Kennedy’s inaugural address, he said: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” These words hit a nerve because they resonate with something deep within us. Being of service defines one of the highest qualities of a human being. When we think of service on a day-to-day basis, however, today’s society seems primarily concerned not with how we can be of service, but with how our own needs are being met by others. Here is where we come in conflict with our Christian calling. Jesus said at the end of today’s Gospel: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” We are not encouraged to abandon our dreams or responsibilities to ourselves, but the Lord does expect that we abandon a mindset that life and other people owe us a living. What we need is to adopt a policy of serving others as our way of life.